‘Black Panther’ stuntman dies after car wreck
The stunt work of 41-year-old Taraja Ramsess was also featured in "Avengers: Infinity War," "The Suicide Squad," "Atlanta" and "Creed III."
A stuntman known for his work in the Marvel franchise died Oct. 31 following a car accident in Atlanta.Â
Variety reported that 41-year-old Taraja Ramsess, known for “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Endgame,” died alongside his daughters Sundari, 13, and Fujibo, 8 weeks old.Â
Akili Ramsess confirmed her son’s and granddaughters’ death in an Instagram post on Thursday, sharing that her 10-year-old grandson, Kisasi, was on life support. He later died, too.
“All who knew and met him know how special Taraja was,” Ramsess wrote. “He had a deep capacity for love and loved his children more than all. He loved his martial arts, motorcycles and all things related to filmmaking.” She further noted that her son had “a very droll yet wicked sense of humor & yet could be as cornball corny as can be.”
Ramsess revealed that two of her granddaughters survived the crash and that one of them, a 3-year-old, was still hospitalized.
“Sundari, Sunny as she was called, also reflected that special light. Funny & loved to dance,” Ramsess added. “Oh God! I can’t believe they’re gone! We are grieving and remain prayerful for my grandchildren’s recovery. Thank you to so many who have already reached out with kind words and prayers.”
“Avengers: Infinity War,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Atlanta,” and “Creed III” all featured Ramsess’ stunt performances. He also worked in the art department on projects such as “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “The Walking Dead” and “The Vampire Diaries.”
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay paid tribute to Ramsess, who did work with her distribution company Array, in an Instagram post, recalling a time when there weren’t enough Black background performers for a vital sequence. Â
“I had to recruit my crew members to be on-camera,” DuVernay recalled, Variety wrote. “Taraja was the first to say yes. Yes, I’ll do my real job and then jump into this wild scene playing a tough guy with a gun for you. From there – everyone else said yes, too. He was that kind of person. A leader. A light.”
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