Figure skating champ & LHOP guest star Chris Bowman dead

"LOS ANGELES — Christopher Bowman, the former U.S. figure skating champion called "Bowman the Showman" for his flair on the ice, died Thursday of a possible drug overdose, authorities said. He was 40.

Bowman was pronounced dead at 12:06 p.m., said Coroner's Lt. Joe Bale, who wasn't immediately able to provide more details about the possible drug overdose.

Bowman's body was found at a motel in the North Hills section of Los Angeles, and an autopsy was planned for this weekend, Bale said.

Bowman, a former child actor, won U.S. men's figure skating titles in 1989 and 1992, and was a two-time medalist at the world championships. Bowman also competed in the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics, finishing seventh and fourth, respectively.

The skater also had some run-ins with the law.

In November 2004, he pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors involving having a gun while drunk in Rochester Hills, Mich.

In 1993, while skating with the Ice Capades, he was beaten at a hotel in a seedy neighborhood in Pittsburgh, according to a police report.

Born in Hollywood, Calif., on March 30, 1967, Bowman had a part in the TV series "Little House on the Prairie" for one season and appeared in dozens of commercials.

Recently, Bowman had returned to acting. He had a role an assistant coach in the upcoming Brian J. De Palma-directed movie "Down and Distance" staring Gary Busey."

I read this on Fox News. I looked Chris up because I couldn't recognize his face and it seems he played in a couple epsiodes from Season 5 "The Wedding" and "The Sound of Children".

How sad........It says in The Wedding, he played George and in The Sound of Children, he played Benjamin. Born March 30, 1967, he would've been about 11 in these episodes. Anyone with their DVDs, you might see if you recognize him.

Here is a video of him skating and a close up of his face. You might watch how he talks and his facial expressions, you might know which one he is on the DVD.

http://cbs2.com/video/?id=57083@kcbs.dayport.com&cid=71

I read this news today, and I was surprised to read that Bowman had been on LHotP. The article I read mentioned the character Benjamin. The only Benjamin I could think of on LHotP was Percival's father. By coincidence, I happened to see "The Sound of Children" today. I watched for a boy named Benjamin, but I don't recall anybody referring to any of the boys as Benjamin. My guess is he was one of the students at the blind school.

Oh wow. I remember him well from both the 88 and 92 Olympics. He was very personable and charismatic, and he really had a great skating quality. I remember having a little crush on him too, in 88, being only a couple years older than me. What a shame.

I remember him from skating, but I didn't realize that he had been on Little House.

How sad.