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Broadway actor Quentin Oliver Lee has died at the age of 34.
The star, who was best known for taking on the titular role in a touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “The Phantom of the Opera,” died of colon cancer on Thursday, Dec. 1.
Lee’s wife, Angie, took to his Instagram that same day to share the news with his fans and followers.
“Quentin passed in the wee hours of the morning,” she wrote. “It was the most beautiful moment of my life. I saw his last breaths, held his hand tight, and felt his heartbeat slowly drift away. He had a smile on his face, and was surrounded by those he loves. It was peaceful, and perfect.”
She added: “He was an incredible man, husband, father, son, brother, friend, singer, actor, and disciple of Christ with great faith in his Father in Heaven. To say ‘he will be dearly missed’ doesn’t reflect the scope of the people and communities he has created and touched.”
The post was paired with photos of Lee with the daughter they shared.
Another memorial message came from the official Instagram for “The Phantom of the Opera” musical.
“The Phantom family is saddened to hear of the passing of Quentin Oliver Lee,” a caption that accompanied several performance stills read. “Quentin brilliantly lead our North American tour in 2018. Our hearts are with Quentin’s family and friends.”
Lee appeared on Broadway in the “Prince of Broadway, and most recently in “Caroline, or Change.”
Over the summer, he announced his diagnosis with stage 4 colon cancer and the warning signs that preceded.
“May 1st, I got Covid, and all the symptoms that go along with that. Worst of which for a performer was the difficulty breathing and fatigue,” he wrote in a June 5 journal entry on the Caring Bridge website. “At the same time, I had been having IBS like symptoms. Running to the bathroom, difficulty eating, etc.
“Fast forward two weeks and in theory my Covid symptoms are supposed to be gone, but their not. So I thought maybe I have long Covid. … I couldn’t eat or drink more than a couple of bites of anything without getting intense fits of nausea. I was spending entirely too much quality time on the porcelain throne, running to it as a if my life depended on it. My breathing, which I had hoped would get better, was no longer congested like it had been during Covid. Instead every breath came with a painful pressure to my ribs or shoulder. Which was confusing, to say the least.”
He explained that he first went to an urgent care center and then to an emergency room for more tests.
“Turns out, I also had a big ol’ mass in my colon, and ‘innumerable masses’ in my liver,” he wrote.
According to the American Cancer Society, the risk of developing colorectal cancer over the course of one’s lifetime is “about 1 in 23 (4.3%) for men and 1 in 25 (4%) for women.”
But for the Black community, the risks are even greater. Black people are 20% more likely to get colon cancer than any other race.
Early detection is key. Screenings for those at average risk of colorectal cancer are recommended beginning at age 45.
The American Cancer Society suggests that those at higher risk — with a family history of colorectal cancer, a history of inflammatory bowel disease or certain types of polyps — talk to their doctors about the possibly of earlier screenings.
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