An acting coach and friend of Virgin River's Stewart McLean said there was one red flag ahead of the actor's alleged murder. 

Jeff Seymour said he grew suspicious about McLean's disappearance after the actor failed to show up for a scheduled day of filming, which the coach said was very unlike him. 

'He was meticulous about everything and there would be no chance he blew it off or slept too late,' he told The Canadian Press. 

'As soon as I heard he didn't make it on Saturday morning, I knew there was big trouble.' 

The 45-year-old actor was reported missing on Monday and his remains were found in Lions Bay, near Vancouver, on Friday. 

Police suspect the Virgin River star was murdered. 

Seymour and McLean had been friends for eight years after the Canadian had attended one of the acting coach's classes. 

He saw the Murder in a Small Town star just last month in Los Angeles, where Seymour said the pair '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 told The Canadian Press. 

'It just doesn't make any sense. He was incredibly situationally aware,' he continued. 'I bring it up because for the life of me, I don't know how anybody could get the drop on Stew.' 

Seymour said his friend was a 'straight arrow' and a 'bit of a loner,' but that 'everybody loved this guy.' 

'He spent a lot of time reading and being at his home out there in Squamish,' the acting coach told the outlet. 'It's just a shocker. I would love to see justice served.' 

In a tribute post on Facebook, Seymour called McLean a 'good egg' who was a 'lovely and thoughtful actor.'

'He was a joy to work with. He was intelligent, well-read, and an excellent storyteller,' he wrote. 

Squamish RCMP confirmed in a May 21 press release that they were transitioning McLean's missing person investigation to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) - with McLean's sister confirming 'the loss' of her brother in a heartbreaking post.

'Squamish RCMP initiated an investigation and, through investigative efforts, uncovered evidence that led investigators to believe Mr McLean was the victim of a homicide,' the statement read. 

The following day, IHIT issued a media release announcing its discovery of McLean's mortal remains in the Lions Bay area. 

As news of the murder investigation broke, McLean's sister Kat wrote, 'It is with great sadness that we share the loss of our dear younger brother, Stew. He was genuine, honest, caring, and funny as heck. We will miss him incredibly.'

The actor's most recent TV appearance was in a 2026 episode of the Netflix drama Virgin River, in which he played Barfly. 

His screen credits also include a second-season episode of the Fox crime drama Murder in a Small Town and the Lifetime TV movie The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story.

McLean's agency, Lucas Talent Inc., also shared a tribute.

Jodie Caplan wrote: 'It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved client, Stew McLean. I was fortunate to have worked with Stew for more than 10 years.

'He was always such a pleasure to deal with, dedicated, professional, eager, and endlessly funny!'

Caplan also shared that 'many casting directors have reached out to share their condolences with Stew’s family and with our agency,' with all of them saying 'what a truly great guy he was, and how deeply he will be missed.'