Johnny Depp has paid tribute to his co-star from Pirates Of The Caribbean, Tamayo Perry, who was killed in a shark attack last month.
The surf-instructor and actor was pronounced dead after being brought to the shore with several wounds resembling shark bites back in June. Perry had been surfing at Malaekahana Beach off the northern coast of Oahu, Hawaii when he was attacked.
Depp remembered Perry over the weekend, sharing a black and white image of Perry with his surfboard on his Instagram Stories this weekend (July 28).
In the tribute, he wrote: “Even though it was some years ago now, I remember Tamayo well. 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.”
He also shared a link to a GoFundMe page that’s been set up to raise money for Perry’s wife Emilia as she “navigates the future without Tamayo; her husband, best friend and provider”.
A post on the page reads: “We all want to be the hero of our own story, one of the redeeming characteristics of humanity is our desire to follow our convictions always and without fear. Few of us are able to truly be that hero, Tamayo Perry was is and will be forever. He was everyone’s big brother, stern and uncompromising with an infectious and kolohe smile.
“He was your rescuer in time of need, your safety when all things fell apart. He was a knight forged in the fires of the North Shore in the 90’s, his faith in Christ the rock upon which he stood. Few are those who truly follow in the footsteps of Jesus, Tamayo never took his eyes off the path. Tragic though his passing may be, he left this world doing what he loved where he loved to do it.”
The total raised at the time of writing is $118,660 (£92,323) with a target set at $200,000 (£155,575).
Honolulu Ocean Safety Acting Chief Kurt Lager told Associated Press that Perry was “a lifeguard loved by all” (via USA Today).
“He’s a professional surfer known worldwide,” Lager said at a news conference. “Tamayo’s personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more.”
Mayor Rick Blangiardi also said at the press conference: “Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected, [he] grew up right over here, and just a great member of our ocean safety team.”
He called Perry’s passing “a tragic loss”.
Perry portrayed a buccaneer in the fourth film in the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, which came out in 2011, acting alongside Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush.
Perry also had acting credits in the 2002 sport romance film Blue Crush, an appearance in Hawaii Five-0, and roles in Lost and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.
Perry and his wife Emilia set up the Oahu Surfing Experience, a surf school based on the North Shore “dedicated to providing you with a safe, educational and purely enjoyable experience that most big surf schools will not be able to offer.”
On their website, Perry described his impressive surfing experience and knowledge, as well as his acting appearances. He concluded his bio with: “When I’m not acting, I’m still quite a character, so there’s always a ton of fun to be had.”
In Emilia’s bio, she wrote about her husband: “The vast amounts of ocean knowledge that Tamayo has ingrained in me over the years is priceless.”
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