20th Century Fox Rene Kirby, an actor and gymnast best known for his role inShallow Hal, has died. He was 70. His brother Jon Kirby confirmed the news to local Vermont publicationSeven Days, revealing his sibling, who was born with spina bifida, had esophagus, kidney and bladder issues. Rene died on July 11 at the University of Vermont Medical Center, per the outlet, with Jon revealing that his brother had been hospitalized for two months with the above issues as well as infections. Remembering Rene, Jon — who lived two houses down from his brother, in Burlington, Vermont — toldSeven Days, "He just showed me that there's no limitations on what anyone can do." One quote he will always remember from Rene? " 'You don't have to stand up to stand out, " said Jon, who is the youngest of seven siblings, while Rene was the second-born. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. 20th Century Fox Rene was born to Don and Janet Kirby in Burlington, and according toSeven Days, was often seen riding his three-wheeled bike around town up until fall 2024. He made waves as Walt in the 2001 comedyShallow Hal, oppositeJack BlackandGwyneth Paltrow, where he had scenes with Black, 55, andJason Alexander. Two years later, Rene appeared as Phil Rupp in anotherFarrelly brothersmovie:Stuck on You, which starredMatt DamonandGreg Kinnear. His final screen role was in a 2005 episode ofCarnivàle. Aside from his film and TV roles and past in gymnastics (the latter of which earned him state titles in high school, according toSeven Days), Rene was also a swimmer, skier and carpenter, and worked for IBM for two decades, his brother Jon told the outlet. Rene and Jon's sister, Cheryl St. Amour, toldSeven Daysthat Rene had beaten throat cancer, but his larynx had been removed as part of the treatment, so he lost his ability to talk a few years ago. He is predeceased by his father and survived by his mother and six siblings, perSeven Days. Read the original article onPeople