How Did Grant Imahara Die? Tragic Details On Death Of 'Mythbusters' Star
Rest in peace, Grant Imahara.
Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock Grant Imahara earned himself a cult following of sorts when he joined the then-fledgling cast of MythBusters. But thanks to the hit Discovery show, the electrical engineer and robotics expert could not only share his profound knowledge of so-called "nerd stuff" in a fun and exciting way — so much so that even non-science buffs could enjoy the show — but became a bit of a star in his own right.
So when his sudden and tragic death was announced on social media, he instantly became a trending topic and triggered an outpouring of grief from all over the world.
How did Grant Imahara die?
He died of a brain aneurysm.
According to an official statement from the Discovery Channel, Imahara died of a brain aneurysm in his home on July 13, 2020. He was 49 years old. "We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Grant. He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family," a statement from Discovery said.
He was an engineer by trade.
Unlike many reality television hosts, Imahara didn't just talk the talk — he walked the walk as well. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in electrical engineering in 1993. For a time, he was considering dropping out of his degree program because he had a fantasy of being a screenwriter. However, he ultimately realized that he had to see the electrical engineering degree through to its completion.
His first job was with Lucasfilm and its affiliate companies.
After he graduated with his electrical engineering degree, Imahara developed his relationship with his USC professor, Tomlinson "Tom" Holman, who developed the renowned sound quality-assurance system THX (Tomlinson Holman eXperiment) for Lucasfilm. On his professor's recommendation, Inahara went to work with the infamous Star Wars creator and got the experience of a lifetime.
“Working with Tom and being introduced to this world of engineering that has a more creative edge to it showed me where I was getting bogged down before,” Imahara said at the time. “He introduced me to something I could potentially do.” Imahara worked for THX for three years after he finished his degree, and then worked with Lucasfilm proper for six years.
He is listed as a model-maker for some of the world's biggest films.
Thanks to his work with Lucasfilm and THX, Imahara's name is listed in the credits of some of the biggest movies in the world. He was R2-D2's technician in some of the Star Wars films. And his resume reads like a nerd's dream come true: The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Galaxy Quest, AI: Artificial Intelligence, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Van Helsing, and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
He joined MythBusters because he was friends with co-host Jaime Hyneman.
Imahara was a friend of both Mythbusters co-host Jaime Hyneman and the show's producer, Linda Wolkovitch, with whom he worked while still at ILM. He became a member of the so-called "Build Team" alongside Kari Byron and Tory Belleci, where he stayed until 2014. In 2016, he reunited with the original "Build Team" for Netflix's White Rabbit Project, which debuted in 2016.
He got engaged to his girlfriend in December 2016.
In December 2016, Imahara announced that he got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer Newman. His very first tweets, in fact, were dedicated to their engagement! Check them out below.
Jennifer Newman posted a heartfelt tribute to her longtime love in the wake of his death as well.
The cast of Mythbusters paid tribute to Imahara upon word of his death.
It didn't take long for the cast of Mythbusters to come out and pay tribute to their fallen comrade. You can check out their tribute tweets below.
Our thoughts are with Grant Imahara's family and friends during what is undoubtedly a difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.