Actor Stewart McLean found dead amid British Columbia homicide probe

British Columbia investigators have identified the remains of actor Stewart McLean, 45, after his disappearance in Lions Bay moved into a homicide investigation. Police said they are now piecing together his final movements and treating the case as an isolated incident.

McLean, who was also credited as Stew McLean, was last seen at his residence in Lions Bay on May 15. Squamish RCMP received a missing-person report three days later, on May 18, and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team took over the case on May 20 after investigators said they uncovered evidence suggesting homicide. By May 22, IHIT announced that McLean’s remains had been found and identified in the Lions Bay area.

Investigators said they were reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing people to build a timeline of McLean’s activities before he disappeared. The case has drawn attention across the Sea-to-Sky region, where Lions Bay sits between Vancouver and Squamish, as authorities work to determine how McLean died and who may have been involved. Police have asked anyone with information to contact IHIT or Crime Stoppers.

McLean’s screen work included roles in Virgin River, Murder in a Small Town, Arrow, Happy Face, Travelers, The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story, Beyond and Supernatural. His acting credits dated back to 2015, and he had also worked as a producer. IMDb lists him as born on April 24, 1981, in Edmonton, Alberta, which aligns with his age at the time of his death.

Lucas Talent, which represented McLean for more than a decade, described him as a valued client and said many casting directors had already shared condolences. The agency remembered him as dedicated, professional, eager and funny, a reflection of the professional network McLean built over years of work in British Columbia’s production scene. His credits were often tied to projects filmed in and around Vancouver, where the local industry has long depended on actors and crew moving between series, movies and made-for-television productions.