Silvio Horta, the creator of hit TV show Ugly Betty, has died at the age of 45. The television producer and screenwriter, who was of Cuban-American descent, began his career with the satirical teen film Urban Legends starring Jared Leto, and created two sci-fi programmes, The Chronicle and Jake 2.0, which were broadcast in the early 2000s. Horta, who died by apparent suicide, went on to have mainstream success with the comedy-drama starring Vanessa Williams and America Ferrera, which became a worldwide smash following its cancellation in 2010.

Ferrera, who played the show’s titular character, an unlikely fashion intern, paid tribute to Horta on Instagram. The actor said she was “stunned and heartbroken to hear the devastating news”, adding that Horta’s “talent and creativity brought me and so many others such joy and light”. Elsewhere, Williams, who played the role of fearsome editor Wilhelmina Slater, added that his “creativity and passion will be missed by so many of us that worked with him. May he Rest In Peace”. Michael Urie, who played Slater’s personal assistant Marc, commented that Horta had “[broken] barriers and saved lives. Losing him is hard … I hear from LGBTQ people all the time that the show helped them.”

Based on the Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty, La Fea, and executive-produced by Salma Hayek, Ugly Betty ran for four seasons, winning two Golden Globes and three Emmy awards. Horta previously stated that the experiences of Betty’s nephew, Justin, who struggles with his sexuality, were based in part on his life, and said in a Golden Globes acceptance speech that it was a show about the American Dream, which is “alive and well and in reach of anybody who wants it”.

Despite his success, at the time of his death Horta had not had a TV credit since 2015, though he is said to have had several projects in development.