Christian Oliver’s friends and colleagues are mourning the actor after news of his death in a plane crash alongside his two children.
The 51-year-old actor, known for roles in films like 1995’s The Baby-Sitters Club, plus The Good German and Speed Racer, died Thursday when a plane he was in crashed in the Caribbean, off the island of Bequia. His two daughters Madita, 10, and Annik, 12, were killed as well, as was the pilot Robert Sachs, local authorities said.
In an Instagram post, actress Bai Ling shared a tribute to the late actor, writing, “with tears in my eyes I cannot express the sorrow I felt when our [director Nick Lyon] called me not long ago, that the plane he took had crashed, including his beautiful 2 daughters and the pilot had all passed! In the Caribbean‘s. He was having holidays,” she wrote, in part, in her caption Friday, alongside a photo of herself with Oliver.
“I just could not believe it is the truth, the last we worked filming in #hollywood was December 20th 2023, just right before Christmas,” added Ling.
We [were] supposed to have one day pick up shot tomorrow,” she continued. “I cried cried, it was our first and last film together, I loved working with him so much, but luckily you can see our #film it’s called #foreverholdyourpeace.”
“He was so. nice, worked so hard and such a brave #actor and a beautiful gentle person, we played #lovers in this film, just so so so sad,” Ling added. “#rip dear Christian may your soul Rest In Peace, Sending love To your families.”
“Rest easy dear friend, dear brother,” cinematographer Michael Su, who previously worked with Oliver on the 2022 television film English Estate and recently wrapped Forever Hold Your Peace with him, captioned a photo of the late actor Friday.
“I will miss our talks on set..the camaraderie during those long hauls, and the quiet moments when we watched magic happen. You and your daughters are together in eternity,” Su added.
“This is our 5th film together. @christianoliverofficial and me produced this one, and this is our last day of filming!” Lyon wrote alongside a snapshot of himself and Oliver. “We talked about producing a film together for years and finally did it! Thank you for being a great colleague, actor and friend @christianoliverofficial #foreverholdyourpeace.”
Oliver, who has said in the past that he still gets recognized most often for his role as international heartthrob Luca in The Baby-Sitters Club, was also honored by one of his costars from the 1995 coming-of-age film, based on Ann M. Martin’s book series of the same name.
“RIP,” wrote Stacey Linn Ramsower, who played Mallory Pike in the film, on her Instagram Story, adding a broken-heart emoji.
“I am heartbroken to hear about the death of my friend, the talented #ChristianOliver and his two daughters,” casting director Ivy Isenberg, who worked with Oliver on the 2009 comedy film Ready or Not, wrote on X. “My heart goes out to their mother Jessica. There are no words at a time like this.”
David Michael Latt, who co-produced the 2014 Lyon-directed film Hercules Reborn, shared a snapshot of the late actor in costume from the movie and tweeted, “We met 10 years ago and made four amazing films together. You always elevated each project.”
“But every time we met socially it was always about family and your wonderful little girls. Profound loss,” Latt added.
A statement from the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force on Thursday confirmed that the bodies of the pilot and the passengers were recovered from the aircraft and waters by the SVG Coast Guard. The victims were later pronounced dead.
Oliver’s last Instagram post featured a serene beach photo shared on New Year’s Day, which read, “Let Love Rul. Wishing all of you the best for 2024!”
“Greetings from somewhere in paradise! To community and love,” he wrote in the caption.
Aside from the aforementioned film projects, Oliver was known for his roles in TV series like Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Sense8 and Hunters. He also starred in stage productions including The Abduction from the Seraglio and Die Geschichte vom Soldaten, according to his website, which also includes a demo reel of some of his standout performances as of 2010.
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