Troubled American skating star Christopher Bowman has been found dead of a possible overdose. Bowman, 40, was was pronounced dead Thursday afternoon after his body was found in a hotel room in Los Angeles.

Commentary: Bowman was considered an enormous talent, a skater who possessed both great charisma and athleticism. A former child television star, Bowman was a two time U.S. National figure skating champion and won a silver medal at the 1989 World Championships. Bowman, a regular on "Little House on the Prairie," also was member of the U.S. Olympic teams in 1988 and 1992. However, the skater battled drug addiction issues throughout his skating years.