“Pet Sematary” Star Leo the Cat passed away recently following the release of the 2019 film, according to multiple reports.
Picked for his menacing look, the furry star landed his role as Church in the recent adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. However, despite his scowl, the feline managed to capture the attention and hearts of the audience and crew, according to The Sun.
His trainer, Kirk Jarrett, who adopted him after the filming for the movie ended, was the one who broke the news and confirmed Leo’s death on the cat’s Instagram page.
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“It is with deep sadness that we tell you that Leo has passed away,” the post read. “He will be forever missed by his human and fur family. May his star always shine brightly!!”
Jarrett did not mention how Leo the Cat died, making his death somewhat of a mystery.
According to the Daily Mail, there also wasn’t an indication of how old Leo was when he passed away, but in images that Jarrett posted on Leo’s Instagram back in January, Leo looked youthful. Jarrett claimed that the cat was still growing at that point.
“When your humans tell you that your clothes no longer fit you cause your too big,” the post on Instagram read. “In my defense, I’m a Maine Coon AND I’m still growing! At least my bow still fits me!”
Typically, Maine Coons take around 18 months to reach adult size, whereas most feline species take around 12 months.
The first film adaptation of the book “Pet Sematary” took place back in 1989.
In the new film, the cat named Church is owned by the daughter of the main character, Ellie Creed, played by Jeté Laurence. Leo was one of four Maine Coon cats selected to play Church.
He was also the cat that the producers used to promote the movie on “Pet Sematary” posters, according to the Daily Mail.
According to Jarrett, one of the reasons why Leo was cast to play Church was that the cat simply looked good, but there were other factors involved in his casting.
“Part of it was that he’s just got such a cool look, different from any other cat I’ve seen,” Jarrett said. “He’s got this beautiful face, and these eyes that are so expressive.”
According to an interview with AV Club, Jarrett said that every cat who was featured as Church in the movie had its own role. For Leo, that role was for him to sit still and stare menacingly.
“Leo is a confident sit-stay cat. His role is as the undead Church; that was his whole purpose, to be the poster child,” Jarrett told AV Club. “The cat you see all across the different platforms, and in the trailer, almost any time he’s in in the undead makeup—that was Leo.”
Many internet users offered their condolences on Leo’s Instagram post, replying that Leo will be greatly missed.
