After his passing, Ramsess was also remembered by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, who reflected on the impact he made while working at her distribution company, ARRAY.
“Regal,” she wrote alongside an Instagram post featuring photos of Ramsess on-set, “That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of him. He walked like a king. And to me, always acted like one.”
DuVernay noted that the tragedy “makes the hearts of all who knew him break into a million pieces.”
“I remember one day on set, we didn’t have enough Black background actors for a key scene,” the Selma director recalled. “I had to recruit my crew members to be on-camera. Taraja was the first to say yes. Yes, I’ll do my real job and then jump into this wild scene playing a tough guy with a gun for you. From there – everyone else said yes too.”
That moment, for DuVernay, spoke to the heart of Ramsess’ character.
She added, “He was that kind of person. A leader. A light. Taraja. His name is like music. We will continue to sing it. Bless his soul. Bless his memory. Bless his loved ones and the many comrades he leaves here as he journeys on.”
