'Django Unchained' actor Keith Jefferson dead at 53
Keith Jefferson, who was known for his role in Quentin Tarantino’s "Django Unchained" has died. He was 53.
"I am deeply saddened by Keith’s passing. He was a tremendous talent and it is a profound loss to the artistic community," Jefferson’s rep confirmed with Fox News Digital.
"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. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and close friends."
Jefferson was additionally featured in "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood" alongside Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. He also worked with Tarantino in "The Hateful Eight."
Jamie Foxx took to social media to share an emotional message to his dear friend after news of Jefferson’s death.
"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…" Foxx, 55, posted on Instagram.
"[ever] since we met back in college, you have been in incredible soul God rest, NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO SEE THE WORDS ABOUT MY FRIEND RIP."
Foxx accompanied his post with a photo of him and Jefferson posing with a handshake at an airport.
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The "Ray" star’s daughter, Corrinne, reacted to the post with red heart emojis.
Foxx continued to share photos of Jefferson on his Instagram Story, including ones of his dear friend smiling at the camera as he posed with Tarantino and rapper Snoop Dogg.
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Leading up to his death, Jefferson posted a black-and-white photo of himself in a hospital bed.
"Every now and then God will give you a challenge and leave it up to you to fix it. When I was first diagnosed with cancer I had to stop, pause , and didn’t want to share with anyone," he said in part.
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Jefferson was born in Houston, and his parents were Lovie Jefferson and the late Reverend Edward Jefferson.
In addition to being a talented actor, Jefferson was an exceptional athlete as he competed in football, track and basketball at Eisenhower High School growing up, according to iMDB.
Jefferson received a BFA in musical theater from the US International University/Performing Arts in San Diego, along with an MFA in Acting from The University of Arizona in Tucson.
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He portrayed the character Charly in Tarantino’s "The Hateful Eight," as he acted alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell.
Jefferson played a gang member "Pudgy Ralph" in the Academy Award-winning "Django Unchained."
Besides being an actor and singer, Jefferson offered workshops to aspiring entertainers and worked as a voiceover artist and director, according to the media outlet.
Jefferson was a proud member of the Actors' Equity and Screen Actors Guild of America.