Matt Gogin, the little person actor who starred in the films The New Guy and Made for Each Other, has died. He was 40.

Gogin died Dec. 13 of COVID-19 complications and pneumonia at Providence St. Jude’s Medical Center in Fullerton, California.

Born in Los Angeles on May 28, 1982, Gogin was the son of Darla H. Gogin and Michael Gogin, the actor, musician and leading advocate of people with short stature in the entertainment industry.

He made his feature debut in Ed Decter’s Sony comedy The New Guy (2002), playing Ed, a friend of Gil Harris’ (DJ Qualls). He also had a part that year in Matthew Bright’s Tiptoes, a controversial feature that involved little person characters and themes (the lead was played by Gary Oldman and not an actor who had dwarfism).

In 2009, Gogin appeared in Daryl Goldberg’s indie ensemble Made for Each Other. He also starred in João Dall’Stella’s well-received 2019 short film, Stalls.

Gogin was an advocate for little people in entertainment and worked with charities that helped people with disabilities.

Survivors include his son, Steven, and brothers Charles and Andrew. His wife, Tanya Marie Richards, died in her sleep at home in 2016 at age 32.