Hollywood is still reeling from the passing of television icon Norman Lear, who died Wednesday at the age of 101. His influence and reach stretched across the entertainment industry. “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams was one of the many famous names who paid tribute to Lear, remembering his “generosity” and “leadership.”
“Norman Lear, a gentle man of action who carved trails in culture and consciousness early and often. A soul i came to know, debate and learn from at a turning point in both our lives,” Williams wrote on Instagram. “Forever grateful for his personal and professional generosity uphill; his use of privilege; his observant leadership in a society molded by the arts. Thank you for the leaps forward.”
His post included photos of himself and Lear, as well as a headline about the prolific producer’s defense of the “Only Murders in the Building” actor after he received backlash for his memorable 2016 BET Awards speech. Lear had the actor’s back when critics created a petition to get him kicked off the ABC medical drama. They called his powerful words about Black empowerment and criticism of police brutality “hate speech.” Lear stood up for Jesse, saying in part, “Wither thou goest, Mr. Williams, I will follow.”
“I’ve seen and attended a ton of awards shows in my time, and no one has ever put his soul and his ass on the line so fully and so truthfully as Jesse Williams did at the BET Awards last week,” Lear told IndieWire.
At the time, they were working together on the EPIX docuseries “America Divided,” which examined the country’s racial inequalities with a specific focus on housing, education and healthcare. Williams appeared in the episode on education. It’s yet another example of how the man behind “Sanford and Son,” “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times” didn’t shy away from centering Black people in the conversation about race.
Williams wasn’t alone in remembering the legend, as Quinta Brunson, Tyler Perry and Yvette Nicole Brown all posted moving tributes to Lear.