Celebrity2 min(s) read
Published 12:00 02 Aug 2021 GMT
Jay Pickett has passed away at the age of 60 after collapsing on set during filming.
According to The New York Times, the veteran soap actor died on Friday, July 30, while shooting the movie Treasure Valley in Idaho.
Confirming the news in a Facebook post made on Saturday, July 31, his co-star Jim Heffel wrote:
"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. Jay wrote the story and starred in it. He was also a co-producer with myself and Vernon Walker. He will be truly missed. Ride like the wind [partner]."
Meanwhile, director Travis Mills corroborated this information in a statement made to the NY Times.
Mills claimed that Pickett slumped over on horseback, and the crew and cast did their best to resuscitate him before paramedics arrived a few minutes later by helicopter.
"Our hearts are broken and we grieve for his family who are so devastated by this shocking tragedy. He was doing what he loved: Acting, riding horses, making movies. And he was magnificent," Mills said.
However, despite their best efforts, the star was declared dead at the scene.
BBC News later confirmed that Pickett was the writer and a producer behind Treasure Valley. In the movie, his character was in search of his long-lost daughter.
Fellow actor and General Hospital co-star Kin Shriner later paid tribute to Pickett, tweeting: "The sudden passing of my pal Jay Pickett Is very sad. He loved acting and Westerns, and when we got together we laughed a lot. R.I.P. Jay."
Pickett famously starred in the NBC series Days of Our Lives from 1991-1992, and in the ABC series General Hospital in various roles.
The actor also had guest roles in popular shows like Dexter, Desperate Housewives, and NCIS: Los Angeles.
He is survived by his wife and three children, BBC News reports.
Our thoughts go out to Pickett's family, friends, and fans at this time.
