Rene Kirby, 70, recently died on July 11, 2025. Over the years, the actor and gymnast built a fan base for his performance as Walt in Shallow Hal and a few other projects. Notably, the news was revealed to an outlet called Seven Days by his brother Jon earlier this week, on Monday, July 21.As per his obituary on the website of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services, Rene Kirby passed away after struggling with a brief illness. Notably, Kirby also battled a condition called spina bifida since the time he was born, alongside other health problems in the kidney, bladder, and esophagus.According to the Mayo Clinic, spina bifida refers to a condition where the spine and spinal cord fail to form in a normal manner. It starts during the pregnancy process, where the neural tube, which later becomes a child’s brain and spinal cord, does not close on all sides.The side effects of spina bifida can be different, and it is entirely dependent on the place and size of the opening on the spine. Although people can undergo surgery in the initial stage, it cannot restore the normal functioning of the spinal cord.While speaking to Seven Days, Jon said that his brother was dealing with two infections and some other health issues, due to which he was hospitalized for almost two months at the University of Vermont Medical Center.Rene Kirby’s obituary on Ready Funeral & Cremation Services also disclosed that his memorial is scheduled next month on August 21 at the Ready Funeral Home South Chapel from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Furthermore, the obituary stated that people can make contributions by visiting the official website of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.Rene Kirby struggled with spina bifida: Career, health issues, and other details explainedBorn on February 27, 1955, Rene’s family members included six siblings alongside his parents, Don and Janet. As mentioned, Rene was diagnosed with spina bifida at the time of birth, leading to complications such as nerve damage, spine not attached to the pelvis, and underdeveloped legs, as per Health and Me. During his recent conversation with Seven Days, Jon described his brother’s condition by saying:“He was L-shaped and really couldn’t lay flat.”While doctors had initially advised Don and Janet to use certain instruments to help in the stretching of Rene Kirby’s legs, the duo opted to get a brace for him when he was around nine months old. Janet used a different method to cure her child by putting a bottle far away from Rene, who slowly learned to grab it. Rene was only a year old when he began using his hands to walk. As per Variety, Rene also battled throat cancer, where his larynx was removed, and he could not speak anymore.Despite all these issues, Rene was employed at IBM for a long time before he entered the entertainment industry. In addition, he was using a bike built by an Essex machinist since the time he was 10 years old. However, he was not using it for some time, and Jon explained the reasons for the same while speaking to Seven Days, and stated:“He had gotten to the point where he really couldn’t get up on it anymore.”Rene Kirby’s entry into Hollywood happened after a meeting with director Peter Farrelly inside a bar in 1999, as per Seven Days. The latter decided to include Rene in a film after a conversation, following which Rene was seen in the romantic comedy film, Shallow Hal.Released in 2001, Shallow Hal was a box office success and starred Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow. Rene Kirby appeared in the film alongside Black and Jason Alexander. He later acted in another comedy, Stuck on You, directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly. His last known role was in an episode of the HBO series Carnivàle.Apart from Jon, Rene Kirby’s survivors include his mother, Janet, brothers Ric, Daryl, and Jon, sisters Donn, Cheryl, and Jean, and many other family members.