Remains of missing B.C. actor Stewart McLean found, homicide police say

LIONS BAY – When actor and acting coach Jeff Seymour heard that his friend Stewart McLean hadn’t shown up for a scheduled day of filming last weekend, he said he knew something was wrong. 

“He was meticulous about everything and there would be no chance he blew it off or slept too late. As soon as I heard he didn’t make it on Saturday morning, I knew there was big trouble,” Seymour said from Los Angeles in an interview on Friday. 

Police said on Friday that McLean’s remains had been found in Lions Bay, a community just north of Vancouver, where he lived. 

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said in a statement that the body was found during a search and that the actor — who appeared on series such as “Virgin River” and “Murder in a Small Town” — is believed to have been the victim of a homicide. 

McLean, 45, was reported missing Monday after last being seen May 15.

Homicide investigators took over the missing-persons case when Squamish RCMP found evidence that he may have been killed. 

Lions Bay Search and Rescue said in a social media post that search operations began on Wednesday “throughout the Lions Bay area, including Crystal Falls, Tunnel Point, Brunswick Beach, Magnesia Creek, and surrounding drainages.”

“During the operation, search teams located suspicious evidence and immediately transferred the investigation back to Squamish RCMP for further investigation,” the post said. 

Seymour said he became “fast friends” with McLean about eight years ago when the B.C. man attended one of Seymour’s coaching sessions. 

He said McLean had just been down in Los Angeles visiting him last month, and “we had the time of our life.” 

“It was really a wonderful week, and then I heard this, and it’s just, it’s so hard to comprehend when something like this happens,” he said. “It just doesn’t make any sense. He was incredibly situationally aware.” 

“I bring it up because for the life of me, I don’t know how anybody could get the drop on Stew.” 

The homicide team said investigators are working with the BC Coroners Service to understand the circumstances that led to his death, and that it’s believed to be an isolated incident. 

“As the investigation continues to unfold, homicide investigators are working to collect and analyze evidence, review CCTV footage and conduct interviews to build a timeline of Mr. McLean’s activities prior to May 15, 2026,” Cpl. Esther Tupper said in the statement. 

“We are pursuing all available leads as we work to find answers for the family, friends and loved ones of Mr. McLean.”

McLean is listed by entertainment database IMDb as an actor and producer with credits in TV series such as CW’s “Arrow” and Netflix’s “Travelers.”

The actor, born in Edmonton, last appeared onscreen in one episode of the Netflix TV series “Virgin River” released in March.

Seymour said McLean was a “straight arrow,” and he can’t imagine what could have happened that led to his death, hearing his body was found near rail tracks across the street from his Lions Bay home.

He said he was contacted by McLean’s agent and friends after he had gone missing.

“It’s so crushing, and it hits me in ways I’ll suddenly think, ah, Stu, and I realize I can’t call him now,” Seymour said. 

“Everybody loved this guy, it wasn’t like he was in nefarious activities or, you know, kind of ran with another crowd. I mean, he was a bit of a loner. He spent a lot of time reading and being at his home out there in Squamish.” 

“It’s just a shocker,” he said. “I would love to see justice served.” 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2026.