John Lewis death: Elizabeth Banks to Samuel L Jackson, Hollywood mourns loss of icon 'who made America better'
The death of Congressman John Lewis, 80, has left the world in grief. Lewis was one of the stalwarts of the Civil Rights Movement and he died on Friday following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was the last surviving member of the "Big Six" group of civil rights organizers who led the march on Washington. On December 29 last year, it was revealed that he was undergoing treatment for stage IV pancreatic cancer. His wife Lilian Miles breathed her last in 2012 and is survived by a son, John Miles-Lewis.
Hollywood took to social media to pay a rich tribute to the legend. Mark Hamill tweeted an image of Lewis on Twitter and captioned it: "I have been beaten, my skull fractured & arrested more than 40 times so that each & every person has the right to register & vote. Do your part. Get out there & vote as you've never voted before."-John Lewis: Hero-Civil Rights Icon-Inspiration-Legend #RestInPower #goodtrouble."
'The View' star Meghan McCain too took to Twitter by quoting Lewis, "'Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it’s the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.' - John Lewis." Kamau Bell, in his tweet, remembered one of Lewis's speeches: "'History will not be kind to us. So you have a moral obligation, a mission, and a mandate, to speak up, speak out and get in good trouble. You can do it. You must do it. Not just for yourselves but for generations yet unborn.' - John Lewis"
Martin Lawrence was one of the actors to join the list of celebrities paying their condolences. "So sad to hear of the passing of such a prolific figure who has done so much for our culture. My prayers and condolences go out to the family of John Lewis #johnlewis," the 'Bad Boys' star tweeted. This one was from Brandon Routh who called Lewis a "hero for humanity." He wrote: "John Lewis was a hero for humanity. Thank you, sir, for your inspiration & your story. #RestInPeace."
'Jack Ryan' star Wendell Pierce said, "And on the same day, we lose another American hero, Congressman John Lewis. Beating within an inch of his life on Bloody Sunday in Selma Alabama’65. There is blood on that ballot box that he shed to protect our rights for generations to come. He changed America. Rest In Peace."
Instagram was flooded with tributes to Lewis as well. Jamie Foxx took posted an image of Lewis on Instagram. The caption read: "For all that you have seen... for all that you have fought for... for all that you have endured... There will never be another one like you… We could only hope to be as Brave and as fearless as you ...rest in POWER! @repjohnlewis". This was followed by Elizabeth Banks, who wrote: "#RIPJohnLewis - you made America better, you were a moral compass for so many of us and your leadership will be greatly missed. You were an American #icon and #legend."
Billy Porter's caption on Instagram read: "Sir, we thank you for your service and all that “good and necessary trouble.” We are indebted to you and grateful. #RIPJohnLewis." Veteran actor Samuel L Jackson also paid tribute to Lewis with a tweet that read, "What A Day... now, John Lewis. Sometimes it’s Good to meet a Hero... I was blessed every time we met. RI POWER, Sir.#thestrugglecontinues#BLM#VOTE."
Some stars like Jake Gyllenhaal, Candice Patton, and Grant Gustin paid tribute by sharing images of Lewis as part of their stories on the platform.