Keith Jefferson, who appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s films “Django Unchained,” “The Hateful Eight” and “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,” died Thursday at the age of 53 after a battle with cancer.
Jefferson, an actor, producer and voiceover coach, announced his cancer diagnosis in August. “Every now and then God will give you a challenge and leave it up to you to fix it,” he wrote at the time.
Jefferson was a close of Jamie Foxx, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Foxx and Jefferson met each in college and started working together in the 90s, most recently collaborating on Amazon Prime movie “The Burial,” per the outlet.
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“When I was first diagnosed with cancer I had to stop, pause, and didn’t want to share with anyone, not my family nor extended family.” Jefferson told fans in August. “Today I’m finally at a place to share because my faith is getting stronger.”
Foxx paid tribute to his friend on Instagram after learning of his death.
“💔💔💔 this one hurts. Keith, you’ve been nothing but absolute grace, your whole life your heart is pure your love is immeasurable you were an amazing soul,” Foxx posted Thursday. “We will all miss you dearly. It’s gonna take a long time for this to heal. Goodbye, my friend. I love you,” Foxx said. (RELATED: I’ve Walked Some Dark Hallways’: Toby Keith Opens Up About His Cancer Battle)
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Jefferson appeared on “The Jamie Foxx Show” in the 90s, and also starred in many projects alongside Foxx. The actor also appeared in “Relative Opposites,” “Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!,” and “You, Too, Bosch: Legacy and Day Shift,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
As a stage actor, he had roles in “Big River,” “Othello,” “Superior Donuts” and “Piano Lesson.”