'Star Wars' Actor Andrew Jack Dies Due To Coronavirus
The BBC reports that actor and dialect coach Andrew Jack has died after getting infected with the coronavirus. Jack starred in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” as Caluan Ematt.
Aside from starring in the new “Star Wars” films, Jack also served as a dialect coach on a number of films, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Jack crafted the Middle Earth accents for the “Lord of the Rings” films, as well as the Greek and Trojan accents for the 2004 film “Troy.”
Before his death, Jack was working on Warner Bros. “The Batman.” Filming for “The Batman” has now been halted, just like a number of other events and productions that have also been halted because of the coronavirus.
According to his agent Jill McCullough, the 76-year-old actor and dialect coach passed away at Chertsey’s St. Peter’s Hospital. In an unfortunate turn of events, his wife Gabrielle Rogers is currently quarantined in Australia and could not be there with Jack during his final moments.
“Solo” director Christopher Miller, who worked with Jack in the film, remembered him as a man who was “kind and thoughtful.” He recalled an incident where Jack was teaching “Solo” star Alden Ehrenreich the fictional language Shyriiwook, with the pair “gargle-roaring” at each other.
Greg Grunberg, who acted with Jack in the “Star Wars” films, described him as “wonderful, talented” and shared he was “devastated” by the loss. According to Grunberg, Jack was one of the kindest people he has worked with.
Jack joins the tragic list of celebrities that have passed away because of COVID-19. Last week, Floyd Cardoz of “Top Chef Masters” fame and Broadway veteran Mark Blum passed away.
The European Region still has the most number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to a World Health Organization situation report dated Mar. 31. According to the report, there have been 31,131 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Europe, with the total number of cases amounting to 423,946. New deaths caused by the virus are at 2,733, with the total number of deaths at 26,694.
In the United Kingdom, Business Insider reports that there are 25,150 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths. This has resulted in Prime Minister Boris Johnson declaring a lockdown that has resulted in the closure of schools, bars, restaurants, cafes, gyms, and businesses. Police in the United Kingdom have also been given the go signal to issue fines and dismiss gatherings that violate the lockdown.