“One of the bright lights on our @themorningshow set,” Jennifer Aniston wrote as she paid tribute to camera assistant Erik Gunnar Mortensen, who died in a motorcycle crash on Independence Day
Jennifer Aniston is mourning the death of a member of the Morning Show family.
Erik Gunnar Mortensen, a camera assistant for the Emmy Award-winning series, died on Monday at age 39 after a motorcycle accident on a stretch of Southern California highway. No other vehicles were involved and the crash is under investigation.
The accident occurred at around 6:40 p.m. on Highway 74 between Hemet and Mountain Center. Mortensen was transported to Hemet Global Medical Center, where he died around an hour later, according to a release from the Riverside County Coroner’s Office.
Aniston, 53, paid tribute to Mortensen with a post Thursday on her Instagram Story, sharing photos of him with his wife Keely and their 2-year-old son Lars.
“This past week we suddenly and tragically lost Gunnar Mortensen. One of the bright lights on our @themorningshow set. As camera assistant, he was so skilled and dedicated to his job,” she wrote, adding: “We are going to miss you, Gunnar.”
The Golden Globe winner also included a link to a GoFundMe page started by his union ICG Local 600 to help Mortensen’s family “during this difficult time,” having since raised more than $115,000.
“Local 600 mourns the passing of Gunnar Mortensen, a camera assistant who died on Monday, July 4, from injuries sustained from a motorcycle accident,” the union wrote in a statement. “Gunnar is survived by his wife, Keely, and his 2-year-old son, Lars. 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.”
Mortensen was a member of Local 600 for 13 years and he served on the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographer’s Guild since 2013, as well as a co-chair of the Active Engagement Committee since 2017, according to Variety. He also taught camera workshops and organized Annual Camera Assistant Field Day, taught workshops.
Born Nov. 10, 1982 in Greensburg, Pa., Mortensen discovered his love for filmmaking when he saw a camera truck driving by for the 1992 comedy Ladybugs, according to his IMDb. “Even at that young age he was hooked,” his bio reads.
He began his career filming car commercials in Denver, Colo. before making the move to Los Angeles, where he’s accumulated 81 credits since 2007, including shows like The Real World, 90210, Sons of Anarchy and Transparent, as well as movies like Jack and Jill, Cooties, All the Money in the World, Hubie Halloween and Yes Day.
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