Actor Rene Kirby, Best Known for His Work in 'Shallow Hal,' Dead at 70

When Shallow Hal was released in November 2001, America was still recovering from the tragedy of the September 11 attacks. It's safe to say everyone was in a very vulnerable place. In Roger Ebert's review of the film, he described the Farrelly brothers' vision as walking a "thin line between comedy and cruelty." He also said it was surprisingly moving at times.

He attributed much of his emotional response to the character of Walt, who was played by actor Rene Kirby. The actor and the character both had spina bifida. In the movie and in life, Rene walked on all fours and relied mostly on his upper body. Roger points out that Rene's scenes aren't in bad taste. The character's zest for life allows us to see his inner beauty. The same can be said for Rene, who passed away in July 2025 at the age of 70. Here's what we know about his cause of death.

According to the Vermont independent paper Seven Days, Rene died on July 11, 2025, after being hospitalized for two months. At this time, a cause of death has yet to be revealed, but he was having problems with his esophagus, kidneys, and bladder leading up to his death. The actor had previously survived throat cancer but could no longer speak after his larynx was removed. He is survived by his mother and six siblings.

Rene and his family grew up in Burlington, Vt., where he called himself a "gimp without a wimp." In a 2008 interview with Seven Days, Rene told senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger that he didn't care for people with a disability who pitied themselves. "Life's too short to be doing that," he said. "Walking on my hands is just all I've ever known. I've never thought of myself as disabled."

When Rene was born, doctors told his parents they should use instruments to stretch his legs. Don and Janet Kirby chose not to. Instead, Janet would prop her son up on pillows and put his bottle just out of reach so he would learn how to grab it himself. By the time he turned 1, Rene was walking on his hands. Jon Kirby, the youngest sibling, always looked up to his brother. "He just showed me that there's no limitations on what anyone can do," he said. "You don't have to stand up to stand out."