Hollywood Reacts To Kris Kristofferson’s Death: “What A Gentleman, Kind Soul, And A Lover Of Words”
Updated Monday with Wesley Snipes’ statement, below:
Through music and film, Kris Kristofferson has left an indelible mark on fans over the past 60 years.
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Following news of the Golden Globe and 3x Grammy winner’s death at age 88 on Sunday, friends and fans alike expressed their appreciation for his decades of talent with heartfelt tributes to Kristofferson.
Kristofferson’s family announced his passing with a statement on Instagram. “We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all,” they wrote.
Barbra Streisand, his co-star in the Oscar-winning 1976 remake of A Star Is Born, paid tribute to the country star on Instagram, writing that he was a “special” and “charming” performer. “It was a joy seeing him receive the recognition and love he so richly deserved,” she wrote.
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Friend and collaborator Dolly Parton, with whom Kristofferson performed duets such as “From Here to the Moon and Back” and “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” stated, “What a great loss. What a great writer. What a great actor. What a great friend. I will always love you, Dolly.”
Wesley Snipes, who acted alongside Kristofferson in the original Blade trilogy, in which the latter played his mentor, wrote in a Facebook post Monday: “Family Kristofferson, Pardon the delay. I was talking with GM Kris about how he learned me, by way of example, baritones have more fun, valor is cool, real fun and fame is having a beautiful family and It takes bravery to be a “good” human with so many “vampires” around. I told GM Kris, “Hey Whistler,” while on purpose, “you keep making those weapons—love, passion, skillmastery, and swag—and I’ll keep using them.” Always your ‘Student’ aka “the #Daywalker.”
In a photo of the two shared on Instagram, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong wrote in a caption: “Rest easy to this legend. I was rehearsing Back Stage at the Grammys with miranda lambert for an Everly Brothers tribute. I turned around and lo and behold Kris Kristofferson was sitting there listening to us and he said “boy do I love those harmonies“ I was in awe. He told me he lived in Hawaii . I asked if he surfed. He said “not so much but I love mowing my lawn”.”
Leann Rimes remembered Kristofferson on X as “an epic human with the biggest heart. You will be so, so missed. Rest easy, my friend.”
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Kristofferson’s Outlaw Justice co-star Travis Tritt shared photos of their time together on set and over the years. “Sad to hear of Kris Kristofferson’s passing,” he wrote. “He was an inspiration to me and I was fortunate to get to know him on the set of Outlaw Justice that we filmed in Spain in 1998. My heartfelt condolences go out to Kris’s wife Lisa and all of his family, friends and fans.”
Reba McEntire wrote, “What a gentleman, kind soul, and a lover of words. I am so glad I got to meet him and be around him. One of my favorite people. Rest in peace, Kris.”
Jeff Bridges recalled how he first met Kristofferson in 1972 for the movie Fat City and working with him later on Heaven’s Gate (1980). “His combination of intelligence and physicality, and I gotta add humility, served him well. He was a wonderful actor. On Heaven’s Gate I also met Stephen Bruton, his dear, dear, friend and fellow musician,” Bridges wrote on Instagram. “The two of them together created beautiful music, and an example of what friendship and talent can bring forth. Kris and I got a kick out of looking a bit like each other. It gave me the feeling we were brothers. I’ll miss you Kris on many levels. I’m blessed that our paths cross, my friend.”
See the reactions and tributes below:
“Sunday morning just came down hard,” Patton Oswalt wrote on X.
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