‘Talladega Nights’ Actor Houston Tumlin Commits Suicide At Age 28
Instagram.com/Houston Tumlin Reading Time: 3 minutes
Houston Tumlin, known for his only acting role in the film Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby has died. The 28-year-old played Walker Bobby, the son of Will Ferrell’s character in the 2006 film. Tumlin shot himself in the head in his Pelham, Alabama home on Tuesday, March 23.
Child Actor Houston Tumlin Has Passed Away
After having his big break in the film, Tumlin continued to live in Alabama where he graduated high school in 2011. He never returned to acting and instead served in the Army’s 101st Airborn Division. His girlfriend Charity Robertson was reportedly home at the time of his death. She paid tribute to Tumlin on Facebook.
“I’ve never experienced a hurt like this before,” she wrote. “I feel numb, I feel defeated, I feel lost. I feel empty. My heart is absolutely shattered. My sweet, sweet baby. Our time together was one of the best experiences of my life. I’ll miss your big heart, caring spirit, infectious laughter, & oh man could the list go on.”
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“I just still feel like this is a really bad dream that I can’t wake up from” Robertson continued. Tumlin’s sister Hayden also posted on social media to express her grief.
“I lost my brother yesterday. This doesn’t feel real or right to be without him. He was so special to us. I will love you forever, bubba,” she wrote. She posted a picture of the pair making funny faces for the camera.
Tumlin often posted pictures with his family on his own Instagram account along with loads of pictures of his dogs. In 2020, he posted a screengrab from Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby where he was known as a major scene-stealer. In February 2021, Tumlin also posted a throwback picture posing with his on-screen brother Grayson Russell. He wrote “@graysoncrussell tell me a set of ‘brothers’ more handsome. I’ll wait.” The last post made on Tumlin’s Instagram was a picture of his dog on March 2.
Others Paid Tribute To The Child Actor On Social Media
Many took to social media to pay tribute to Tumlin. “Some of y’all might know who this is. This is Houston Tumlin, aka ‘Hooty.’ He was ‘Walker’ in ‘Talladega Nights’ (Will Ferrell’s Son). I graduated with him and he was one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met. He recently passed, and words can’t describe how hard this is. RIP buddy,” one friend wrote.
“SGT Houston Tumlin came to me as PVT Tumlin. He showed a lot of spirit, promise, positive energy and was (hands down) one of my best Soldiers in my company. Came ready to work. Please check on each other. Get help if you need it. We need you” another wrote.
Fans of the movie recounted some of Tumlin’s most iconic lines on Twitter.
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Our hearts go out to his family and friends at this time. You can find resources for suicide prevention and suicide hotlines here.
