Actor Jeffrey Louis Starr, renowned for roles in The Bad News Bears sequels alongside Tony Curtis and William Devane, has tragically passed away at the age of 61.
Former Child Star Jeffrey Louis Starr Passes Away at 61
Jeffrey Louis Starr, best known for his role as Mike Engelberg in the Bad News Bears sequels, has passed away at the age of 61. Starr died on July 25 at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, Illinois, according to a public obituary shared by Rendleman & Hileman Funeral Homes.
The official cause of death has not been publicly confirmed, but family sources reported that Starr passed away after battling an unspecified illness for some time.
Starr was born on February 20, 1964, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He rose to fame in the 1970s with his roles in the Bad News Bears sequels. The original movie premiered in 1976 and starred Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, and Vic Morrow.
In The Bad News Bears In Breaking Training, Starr worked alongside actors like William Devane and Clifton James. He also starred in The Bad News Bears Go To Japan, where he acted alongside Hollywood icon Tony Curtis.
The Bad News Bears was a box office and critical success, winning a Writers Guild Award for Best Comedy Written Directly For The Screen. The first movie also spawned a short-lived CBS series from 1979-1980 and a remake which premiered in 2005.
Starr later became a deacon in 2010 at the Mill Creek Baptist Church. He was a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild and a longtime member of the Moose Lodge #1346 in Anna.
Starr is survived by his wife Linda, their two sons Brandon and Jacob, nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and another on the way, as well as his two brothers, one sister, and other relatives.
A funeral service was held four days after his passing on July 29 at the Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home. Starr's family confirmed his death to TMZ. His brother Kevin shared a heartbreaking post on Facebook just one day after his passing.
Depression, according to Kevin, is one of the biggest killers in the world. It's unclear if this was a factor in Starr's passing, but it's a reminder of the importance of mental health awareness. Jeffrey Louis Starr had been married to Linda Darlene Webb for 44 years and they celebrated their anniversary a few months before his death.
Starr's acting career may have been short-lived, but his impact on the Bad News Bears sequels will be remembered. The Bad News Bears sequels are the only acting credits listed under Starr's name, according to his official IMDB page.
Rest in peace, Jeffrey Louis Starr.
[1] Rendleman & Hileman Funeral Homes, Public Obituary for Jeffrey Louis Starr, July 25, 2025. [3] TMZ, Jeffrey Louis Starr Dead - Bad News Bears Actor Was 61, July 26, 2025. [5] Kevin Starr, Facebook Post, July 26, 2025.
- Despite his acting career focusing primarily on the Bad News Bears sequels, Jeffrey Louis Starr's impact in the entertainment industry remains noteworthy.
- While the cause of Jeffrey Louis Starr's death is yet to be confirmed, his brother Kevin highlighted the importance of mental health awareness, a concern that has been linked to many celebrities in the news.
