In Pet Sematary, the Creed Family cat named Church, short for Winston Churchill, is hit by a truck on Halloween and killed. The beloved cat is buried in the titular pet sematary and comes back to life, notably dirtier and more aggressive than he was before. Now comes the sad news that the cat that played Church in Pet Sematary has died for real. Take a look:
The cat actor that played Church in Pet Sematary was named Leo in real life and he has sadly passed away. The Instagram post from Leo’s trainer and owner Kirk Jarrett assures us that Leo will be missed by his friends and family, as you would expect and hope would be the case for any beloved family pet. Leo will just have more people mourning him than the average pet thanks to his role in Pet Sematary.
There may be no supernatural burial ground inhabited by the evil spirit Wendigo to bring him back, and doing so would be against the message of Pet Sematary anyways, but Leo’s star will indeed always shine bright. Not many cats get to be immortalized in film, and playing an iconic feline character no less. More than that though, Leo’s star will continue to shine in the hearts and minds of his family.
Although we didn’t know him and never got to pet the fluffy Leo, any of us who have owned and lost a pet can sympathize with what Leo’s family is going through. It does seem odd that he has passed so soon when we just saw him on the big screen only a couple months back. That said, we don’t know how old Leo was or what caused his death, but I like to think that he lived a long, happy and full life.
Judging by his Instagram, the beautiful and photogenic Leo had quite the life, playing outside, having photo-shoots and getting to hang out on the set of the movie. Leo was also apparently extremely well trained and a very mellow cat because he is seen wearing all kinds of costumes and hats, the likes of which would send most cats into a resurrected Church-esque rage.
Although Leo has died, he is not the only cat who played Church in Pet Sematary. Cats are notoriously uncooperative creatures, so it was a joint effort with Leo and other cats, eight in total, to create the performance in the film. Each cat brought their own special skills, like jumping, hissing and staring, to the role, and they all proved to be quite the divas on set.
We offer our condolences to Leo’s family and say Leo, you were fluffy and gorgeous and terrifying, so rest in peace. Check out Leo’s performance in Pet Sematary, arriving on digital on June 25 and Blu-ray on July 9. Take a look at our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies headed to theaters this summer.
