Jon Paul Steuer, a former child actor who turned into a successful musician later in life, passed away on New Year’s Day from an unknown cause.
He was 33 years old.
Fellow members of the band P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S confirmed this sad piece news via a Facebook post on Wednesday, January 3.
It reads as follows:
“It is with heavy hearts and saddened minds that we announce the passing of our dear friend and singer Jonny Jewels, AKA Jon Paul Steuer.
“The addition of Jonny to our dysfunctional band family was one of the best choices that we have ever made, and he brought a much needed sense of fun and lightheartedness to everything we did.
“He was only with us for a little more than a year, but we managed to cram a lifetime of great experiences into his tenure as our singer: dozens shows at home in Portland and across several states, an amazing European tour, and our best full-length release yet.”
Concluded the farewell message:
“We’ve lost our singer, but far, far more than that we’ve lost a friend. Rest in peace, Jonny…we love you.”
An ex-child actor, Steuer portrayed a young Klingon on Star Trek: The Next Generation and the oldest son of Brett Butler’s lead character on the 1990s sitcom Grace Under Fire.
(The photo below is taken from his time on Star Trek.)
Steuer also appeared on an episode of the series The Wonder Years and the film Little Giants before landing his best known acting job on the aforementioned NBC sitcom.
He left Grace Under Fire at age 12 after three years, in 1996… and promptly retired from acting.
In the years since, however, Steuer has occasionally been spotted at Star Trek conventions.
The official Star Trek Online Twitter account shared a message in tribute to the late actor on Thursday:
“Rest in Peace, Jon Paul Steuer, the first actor to play Alexander in TNG. You will be deeply missed.”
He told The A.V. Club website in 2015, regarding his career:
“I wanted to forge on with acting after quitting the show, and I went out on a few interviews.
“But even then they’d turn into question-and-answer sessions with casting agents about Grace Under Fire. I was kind of blown away by how unprofessional people inside the industry were.
“It really soured me. I didn’t want that kind of attention.”
After leaving the acting world, Steuer performed in rock bands and, a few years ago, even launched Harvest At The Bindery in Portland.
The restaurant announced on Facebook on Thursday it will shut down in wake of Steuer’s passing.
“Due to an unexpected tragedy, Harvest will be permanently closing our doors,” the post reads.
“We thank you for your support and understanding. Jon Paul Steuer R.I.P. There will be a memorial gathering for Jonny at Harvest on Sunday 1/7 beginning at 1:00. You can donate to help cover Funeral and Memorial costs here.”
Steuer is survived by his parents.
May he rest in peace.
