Bill Nunn Remembered by Hollywood: ‘He Was a Gem of a Man’

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Wendell Pierce, Donald Faison, Audra McDonald and others offer their tributes

Universal Pictures

With news of “Do The Right Thing” actor Bill Nunn’s death at age 62  on Saturday, Nunn’s show-business colleagues rushed to pay tribute to the actor on social media.

“Private Practice” actress Audra McDonald, who worked with Nunn on the 2008 film “A Raisin in the Sun,” called the actor “a gem of a man.”

“Heartbroken to hear of Bill Nunn’s passing. He was a gem of a man and I loved working with and getting to know him,” McDonald wrote. “RIP.”

Former “Scrubs” star Donald Faison offered, “Rest well Bill Nunn.”

“The Wire” actor Wendell Pierce took to Twitter to say that Nunn’s portrayal of Radio Raheem in Spike Lee‘s “Do the Right Thing” foreshadowed the current rash of police shootings plaguing the country.

“Bill Nunn’s depiction of RadioRaheem in DO THE RIGHT THING illuminated the murder of Black men by police before recent real life videos,” Pierce wrote.

Lee broke news of Nunn’s death on Instagram Saturday, saying that Nunn had died in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Lee did not elaborate on the cause of Nunn’s death.

In addition to “Do the Right Thing” and Lee’s “School Daze,” Nunn’s many screen credits included the Sam Raimi “Spider-Man” trilogy and “Sister Act.”

Read on for more reactions to Nunn’s death.

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