Samuel Monroe Jr., the actor best known for his role in the 1993 classic Menace II Society, has died at 52, months after a severe battle with meningitis and MRSA pneumonia.
His mother, Joyce Patton, announced his death in a Facebook post Thursday, sharing that he passed around 10:24 PM PT on Wednesday, August 26, at a Los Angeles hospital.
"I want to thank all of my Facebook family and friends new and old for praying for Samuel Monroe, Jr., my son," she wrote. "But today God called him home. Please honor my final request to pray for the family, especially his 3 children."
Monroe had been hospitalized since April, first battling severe meningitis before complications led to MRSA pneumonia, seizures, and dialysis. Throughout his months-long hospitalization, his family leaned publicly on their Christian faith, sharing prayers and asking supporters to trust God through the ordeal - a thread that ran through his mother's updates from the hospital all the way to her final announcement.
Born in Los Angeles on November 28, 1973, Monroe broke into acting with the Patti LaBelle sitcom Out All Night before landing his breakout role in Menace II Society. He went on to appear in Tales from the Hood (1995), Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), Set It Off (1996) alongside Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah, and The Players Club (1998) with Ice Cube. His television credits included NYPD Blue, Murder One, and Smart Guy.
Monroe is survived by his mother and three children. His mother's final request wasn't for public tributes, but for continued prayer over the family he left behind.
