The entertainment world is still in mourning after US soap actor Jay Pickett passed away aged 60. The actor, best known for his roles in General Hospital, Port Charles and Days Of Our Lives, died after he collapsed on set.
In the days since his passing, there has been an outpouring of grief from fans and colleagues as they struggle to come to terms with the tragic news.
In a beautiful and moving act, General Hospital, the hit show remembered one of their brightest stars.
Jay was honored with a silent tribute to his life, which aired at the end of Tuesday, August 17, 2021 episode of the hit ABC soap opera. The message included a photo of him alongside the words, "In Loving Memory of Jay Pickett."
How did Jay Pickett die?
Jay was in Idaho filming a scene in his upcoming film Treasure Valley on Friday, July 30, 2021, when tragedy struck. His co-star Jim Heffel claimed, in a Facebook post (opens in new tab), that Pickett died sitting on a horse, “the way of a true cowboy.”
Jim said, “Yesterday I lost a good friend and the world lost a great person. Jay Pickett decided to ride off into the Heavens. Jay died sitting on a horse ready to rope a steer in the movie Treasure Valley in Idaho. The way of a true cowboy.”
Travis Mills, the director, and producer of Treasure Valley, shared an emotional post on the film’s official Facebook page (opens in new tab). In this post, he also explained that the actor's exact cause of death remains unknown.
He said, "There is no official explanation for the cause of his death but it appears to have been a heart attack. Everyone present tried as hard as they could to keep him alive. Our hearts are broken and we grieve for his family who are so devastated by this shocking tragedy."
In further tribute to his colleague and friend, Travis added, "He was kind, sweet, and generous. He was one of the best actors I ever worked with and it was an honor to collaborate with him. Everyone who met him, even for the briefest moment, could feel his warmth, his wonderful spirit.”
How to watch Jay Pickett's memorial
A celebration of Pickett’s life will be held on Friday, August 20, 2021, at the Nampa Civic Center in Nampa, Idaho. It has been confirmed by Deadline (opens in new tab) that there will be live streaming of the service that will begin at 4:45 p.m. ET. Access to the stream is via the Nampa Funeral Home (opens in new tab) website. There, you can also find out how to send flowers to the memorial and see beautiful photos of the star; his family and friends.
Who was Jay Pickett?
Jay's soap opera career began in 1991 and he’s been a stalwart of the popular genre ever since.
His first role was as Dr. Chip Lakin on Days of Our Lives. In the years since he played Frank Scanlon on the popular soap Port Charles, from 1997-2003 and appeared on General Hospital as Det. David Harper from 2006-2008.
Deadline (opens in new tab) reports that the veteran soap star is survived by his wife Elena and his three children.
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