“Dawson’s Creek” actor turned 51

Obi Ndefo, an actor who played recurring roles in “Dawson’s Creek” and “Stargate SG-1,” died on August 28 in a hospital near Los Angeles. He was 51 years old.

Obi Ndefo’s sister, Nkem Ndefo, announced his death in a Facebook post on Saturday evening, writing: “I am heartbroken over the loss of my younger brother and know he has finally found peace.”

On Monday, Nkem Ndefo shared more information about Obi Ndefo’s death on her X account (formerly Twitter), saying, among other things, that the actor’s heart “failed during his long-standing battle with the eating disorder orthorexia.”

In another post on X, Nkem Ndefo wrote: “As his family, we share this news to raise awareness of the severity of orthorexia and in the hope that those suffering from this devastating disease receive the compassionate care they deserve.”

Obi Ndefo was known for his role as Bodie Wells in the teen drama series “Dawson’s Creek”. His character, which he played from 1998 to 2002, was the boyfriend of Joey Potter’s (Katie Holmes) older sister, Bessie Potter (Nina Repeta).

He played the Jaffa warrior Rak’nor in “Stargate SG-1” from 2000 to 2005 and appeared in other series, including “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”, “The Wayans Bros.”, “The Jamie Foxx Show”, “Over the Moon, Just Left”, “Angel”, “Star Trek: Voyager”, “NYPD Blue” and “The West Wing”.

In 2019, Obi Ndefo lost both of his legs after a hit-and-run accident in a Los Angeles parking lot. The actor was loading groceries into the trunk of his car when a drunk driver ran into him, according to the LA Times. His right leg was severed on impact, while his left leg was shattered and had to be amputated.

“What happened to me is just so horrible. Why should I make it worse by feeling bad about it?” Obi Ndefo told the LA Times in 2019. “I didn’t even have to choose the positive.”

Obi Ndefo graduated from Yale University’s drama school, where he earned his BA in 1994 and his MFA in 1997 (according to Yale News). In addition to his acting career, he worked as a yoga instructor.