Angela Bassett is mourning the lack of 9-1-1 crew member Rico Priem after his premature demise following a 14-hour shift on the ABC sequence.
“The studio, 9-1-1, all of us lengthen our deepest condolences to his associates to his household,” Bassett, 65, advised Leisure Tonight in an interview printed on Tuesday, Could 14. “It was only a very, very unhappy second. We’re all rocked by it, definitely.”
Bassett famous that in her time on the sequence, which is at the moment filming its seventh season, the forged and crew have skilled “births” and “weddings” collectively, however that is their first time coping with loss. She added that point was taken on set to honor Priem, the place “so many stunning phrases have been spoken of him.”
“We simply needed to take a second, simply take time and take a second,” she continued. “We thought it was necessary to return collectively and have no matter little bit of service and supply no matter we are able to do to his household, ’trigger we all know that we’ll miss him however we all know they are going to miss him much more.”
In response to the California Freeway Patrol, Priem, who labored as a grip and crew member of Worldwide Alliance of Theatrical Stage Workers Native 80, was driving after his shift ended on Saturday, Could 11, when his Toyota Highlander left the street and flipped onto the roof. He was pronounced lifeless on the scene and his id was later launched by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
His demise was additionally confirmed by IATSE. “We’re totally dedicated to the protection and the well-being of all our members and specific our heartfelt condolences to the member’s household,” IATSE stated in an announcement. “Employees have an inexpensive expectation that they will get to work and are available dwelling safely. Nobody must be put in unsafe circumstances whereas attempting to earn a dwelling.”
Following his tragic passing, the present’s studio, twentieth Tv despatched their “honest and deepest condolences to Rico Priem’s household and associates.” A spokesperson from the AMPTP (Alliance of Movement Image and Tv Producers) additionally launched an announcement, telling Us Weekly, “Our hearts exit to Rico Priem’s household, associates, and all of those that are impacted by this tragic lack of life.”
Priem’s demise was addressed by one in every of his fellow grips, Nina Moskol, who stated that they’d simply labored collectively final week.
“He was on the cusp of retirement, together with his paperwork filed,” she wrote through Instagram on Sunday, Could 12. “He had his already wealthy life deliberate for retirement, together with spending time together with his spouse, watching his grand-nephew develop, using his beloved Harley, and even gripping nonetheless to remain related to his associates. He was so jazzed about what he had discovered about retiring, he needed to show the ins and outs of retirement on the native.”
Moskol famous that the “two most harmful elements” of the day are “attending to work and getting dwelling.” She urged, “Please keep protected on the market. Grip protected. Drive protected. Get off the street if wanted. Take the room.”
Aisha Hinds, who performs Henrietta on the firefighter drama, additionally mourned Priem in a size assertion through Instagram on Tuesday.
“Phrases….ever inadequate…none in a position to carry the harrowing heartbreak reverberating by means of our 9-1-1 household,” she wrote alongside a 9-1-1 promo picture. “Because the trade processes the passing of one in every of our invaluable and invested people—notably loyal, thus lauded and liked for his dedication to his craft and sharing the knowledge he’d gleaned from a long time of working on this trade, hearts are heavy navigating emotions of grief and gratitude for the lifetime of Rico Priem.”
Calling the crew the “unsung heroes” and “cornerstones” of the present, Hinds defined that folks like Priem are “integral to the execution of each concept that begins within the minds of creatives turning into long-lasting recollections and moments that reside on within the hearts of humanity.”
She continued, “Rico graced us together with his presence and keenness, earlier than he handed away within the early morning hours on Saturday, Could eleventh It’s the hope and the unstated assumption that after we wrap a days work, we’ll see one another once more to do it another time the subsequent day. His passing has stilled our hearts and signaled for extra dialog and care in that space.
She concluded her tribute with a message of “deep love” for the 9-1-1 crew members, including that she was “whispering a mild prayer to the sacred gentle areas inside his household’s hearts that ache in his absence.”