Actor Keith Jefferson, known for his roles in Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight passed away following a battle with cancer on Oct 6. He was 53.
Jefferson previously shared news of his diagnosis on Instagram and his agent, Nicole St. John, confirmed the news of his death with USA Today, adding that Jefferson died surrounded by loved ones and was well-cared-for by the staff at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center.
St. John told USA Today, “He was a tremendous talent and it is a profound loss to the artistic community. He had several projects in the pipeline and was in the midst of a project that captured his unique and resonant voice. He had been looking forward to returning in the new year.”
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Jamie Foxx, a close friend of Jefferson, who was his co-star in Django Unchained, mourned him publicly in an Instagram post on Oct. 5.
“Everything hurts right now having a hard time looking through these pictures reliving the memories of us having a great time going to miss you man gonna miss you…every since we met back in college, you have been an incredible soul God rest, NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO SEE THE WORDS ABOUT MY FRIEND RIP Keith,” Foxx wrote.
Foxx closed his remarks with three broken heart emojis.
Foxx was a frequent collaborator with Jefferson, going back to The Jamie Foxx Show. Jefferson also acknowledged Foxx as one of the members of his support system, saying on an Aug. 9 Instagram post, “I have a loving family and the best friends in the entire world. From my mom to J. Foxx and everybody in between. I love you wholeheartedly.”
Jefferson and Foxx are set to appear in the film The Burial together, which will be Jefferson’s final project. IMDb describes The Burial as a film based on a true story, in it, a funeral home owner helps save his family business while exposing a corrupt web of racial injustice and power imbalances. Directed by Maggie Betts, the film releases on Amazon Prime Video on Oct. 13, 2023.
Jefferson, like Foxx, hailed from Texas, and according to IMDb, Jefferson was a star athlete at Houston area Eisenhower High School. Jefferson was the son of the late Edward Jefferson, a local minister.
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