Jennifer Aniston has shared a poignant tribute on Instagram after losing a ‘skilled and dedicated’ crew member from The Morning Show in a tragic accident.
Gunnar Mortensen, a camera assistant on the Emmy Award-winning show, died earlier this week after being involved in a motorcycle accident on a highway in Southern California.
According to People, no other vehicles were involved in the crash, which is currently under investigation. Citing a release from the Riverside County Coroner's Office, the outlet added that Mortensen was transported to Helmet Global Medical Center, where he died around an hour later.
Paying tribute to her colleague on Instagram, Aniston – who stars in the series as Alex Levy – wrote: “This past week we suddenly and tragically lost Gunnar Mortensen. One of the bright lights on our The Morning Show set. As camera assistant, he was so skilled and dedicated to his job.
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“In memory of Gunnar, a page has been set up to help raise funds for his wife, Keely, and his 2-year-old son, Lars during this difficult time."
Aniston added: “We are going to miss you, Gunnar.”
Aniston then shared a link to a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the family, which has already surpassed its $20,000 target with more than $128,000 in donations.
The fundraiser, which was set up by the International Cinematographers Guild, explained in its description that Mortensen died on 4 July from ‘injuries sustained from a motorcycle accident’.
“Gunnar is survived by his wife, Keely, and his 2-year-old son, Lars,” it said.
“In memory of Gunnar, Local 600 has set up this GoFundMe page to help raise funds for his family at this difficult time. We encourage you to donate if you can.”
Among the donors were many of Mortensen’s friends and former colleagues, who also paid their respects to him on the campaign page – praising his dedication to the ‘art and craft of movie making’ and his ‘kindness and reason’.
One person said they had met Mortensen in LA while making a film with him in 2018, writing: “He was a brilliant focus puller and a great guy to have on set. He always arrived with a smile and left with that same smile at the end of the day. He was the type of person I love to have in my team but more importantly, in my life. And he lent me his very cool bag of custom made crystals that brought a bit of magic to some of my frames. That was Gunnar - a little bit of magic that touched a lot of lives. We will miss him.”
Someone else said he was a ‘funny, positive person’ who was always ‘a pleasure to be around’, while a third added: “I worked with Gunnar only once many years ago. Since then, every time we’d see each other at industry functions he always remembered me and had a smile to share. Rest In Peace.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: Celebrity, Jennifer Aniston, Film and TV, US News
Jess Hardiman