Mythbuster Grant Imahara Is Dead At 49, Marathon Honoring Him Planned
Former Mythbuster co-host Grant Imahara has died suddenly and unexpectedly.
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Former Mythbuster co-host Grant Imahara has died suddenly and unexpectedly. He was only 49-years-old. Early reports indicate he was killed by a brain aneurysm. Grant is survived by Jennifer Newman, his long time girlfriend and fiancee whom he became engaged to in 2016.
The Discovery Channel, his TV home while shooting Mythbusters, issued this statement about the loss of Grant: “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.”
The Discovery Channel will honor the legacy of Grant Imahara by dedicating a five-hour block of programming to him on July 17, 2020. During that time they’ll air the following programs featuring some of Grant’s favorite and best moments on television…
- 8 a.m. – Killer Robots: Robo Games 2011
- 9 a.m. – MythBusters — “Mailbag Special”
- 10 a.m. – MythBusters — “Motorcycle Water Ski”
- 11 a.m. – MythBusters – “Paper Armor”
- 12 p.m. – MythBusters – “Blue Ice”
On July 18, 2020 the Science Channel will also air another Grant Imahara marathon featuring these selections…
- 3 p.m. – Killer Robots: Robogames 2011
- 4 p.m. – MythBusters: Shooting Fish in a Barrel
- 5 p.m. – MythBusters: Dog Myths
- 6 p.m. – MythBusters: Paper Armor
- 7 p.m. – MythBusters: Motorcycle Water Ski
- 8 p.m. – White Rabbit Project: May G Force Be with You
Grant Imahara was an electrical engineer and roboticist by training. He worked in that field for Lucasfilm’s ILM special effects studio before joining the cast of Mythbusters. While at ILM he worked on such films as The Lost World: Jurassic Park, the Star Wars prequels, Galaxy Quest, The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions, and Terminator 3.
Grant was invited to become a part of the Mythbusters build team in 2005 by host Jamie Hyneman. He quickly became one of the most visible and beloved members of the legendary show’s cast. As part of the Mythbusters team he built all of the robotics and electronics for nearly every project that appeared on the show. Sure, Adam and Jamie did a lot of the primary hosting, but it was Grant behind the scenes who made it happen. When he was in front of the camera, you could always rely on Grant Imahara and his goofy smile to explain things in a way that made sense.
Grant Imahara left Mythbusters in 2014 along with his fellow build team members Kari Byron and Tory Belleci. The show finished its run one season after their departure. Grant, Tori, and Kari went on to host the netflix show The White Rabbit Project. The show aired for one season and saw the trio investigating historical phenomena.
Mythbusters co-host Adam Savage was quick to respond to the loss with this outpouring of grief and love towards his friend and collaborator…
And here’s how Tory Belleci and Kari Byron said goodbye to their friend…
Grant lived an interesting and full life in his far too short 49-years; much of it off camera, some of it on. Imahara designed and built Geoff, the animatronic robot cohost of Late Show with Craig Ferguson. A lifelong Trekkie, he got to play Sulu in the popular fan series Star Trek Continues. Grant Imahara also competed on the show Battlebots where he built a robot called Deathblow. In 2015 he even showed up in a Sharknado sequel. That’s right, Grant Imahara is in Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No.
In the end Grant Imahara always be remembered best for his work on Mythbusters. There he was a key component not only in entertaining a vast audience of impressionable kids and curious adults, but also educating them. For a lot of people, when they think about robotics, they’ll always think of Grant Imahara. He leaves behind a huge legacy of programming and educating which, without a doubt, made the world a much better place. Thanks Grant. We were lucky to have you in our world, even if only for a little while.
