Johnny Depp pays tribute to Pirates of the Caribbean co-star killed by shark
Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp has paid tribute to his co-star Tamayo Perry after it was announced that he was killed in a shark attack.
Perry, 49, had been surfing off Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu's North Shore in Hawaii last month when he was attacked by a shark.
Emergency services pulled Perry from the water and brought him back to shore via a jet-ski, however the actor, surfer and lifeguard was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.
A month on from the tragedy Depp - who played Captain Jack Sparrow in the franchise - has paid tribute to Perry's family via social media.
Advert
Sharing an black-and white-photograph of Perry to his Instagram Stories yesterday (28 July), Depp sent his 'love' to his former co-star's family.
"Even though it was some years ago now, I remember Tamayo well," he wrote.
"A lovely man, with a huge heart and zest for life… Emilia, I send you all my love and strength. You are in my thoughts. With love, Johnny."
Depp also included a link to a GoFundMe set up in Perry's memory, which aims to raise funds in order to support his legacy. At the time of writing around $118,655 (£92,247) had been raised from the $200,000 (£155,500) target.
In an update posted to the page, the organisers explained the GoFundMe would be used to help Perry's widow Emila 'navigate' life without her husband.
"The generosity shown is deeply moving. These funds will be used to support Emilia as she navigates the future without Tamayo; her husband, best friend and provider," the message read.
"We will continue to share Tamayo’s message of love, faith in Jesus Christ, and living life to the absolute fullest with the people you care about."
Perry and Depp worked together back in 2011 on the film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides alongside Penélope Cruz and Ian McShane, where he had played the role of a swashbuckling buccaneer.
He has also had minor roles in TV and film projects such as 2003's Charlie’s Angels 2 and episodes of Hawaii Five-O.
Outside of acting Perry had been an established surfer, where he had made a name for himself as someone who could complete the infamous Pipeline wave on Ehukai beach, Oahu.
Perry had previously recalled his experience auditioning for the film in an interview, explaining that he and four others had been selected from a pool of nearly 7,000 applicants in 2010.
"I had to get pretty nasty to stand out," he said of the process. "There were some herniated squints."
Topics: Film, Shark Attacks, US News, Johnny Depp
Brenna Cooper