Star Wars actor and dialect coach Andrew Jack dies from coronavirus at 76

Andrew Jack, a longtime Hollywood dialect coach and actor who played a supporting role in the latest Star Wars film trilogy, has died of complications from coronavirus. He was 76.

His agent, Jill McCullough, told EW via email that Jack died Tuesday morning at St. Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, outside London, after being diagnosed with the respiratory illness COVID-19. She added that Jack's wife, Gabrielle Rogers, is currently in quarantine in Australia and that a proper funeral may not be possible due to the global pandemic.

"He had been a dialect coach for many years and was one of those people who promoted mentoring and supporting younger coaches and he was a pioneer in our industry—in that he demonstrated to producers that we were a necessary department and that the job was important," McCullough said. "He loved his work and was funny, charming, and a joy to be around. He was a friend first and a client second, and I will miss doing silly voices and pissing around with him on set. Dialect coaching isn't just about being good at accents, you need to make your actors feel safe and confident, and Andrew's actors absolutely adored him."

Jack appeared as Major Ematt in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo paid tribute to him on social media.

"Today we learned that a member of our Star Wars family, Andrew Jack, passed away due to complications from COVID-19," Suotamo wrote. "In addition to playing Major Ematt in The Force Awakens, his work as a dialect coach on TFA, Solo, & other SW films revealed a man who was passionate & caring for both his work and those around him. My thoughts are with his family and friends."

Jack also had a small voice role in Solo: A Star Wars Story, in addition to a number of small movie parts over the years, but his main craft was dialect coaching.

He worked with Chris Hemsworth on Thor: Ragnarok, the third and fourth Avengers movies, and Men in Black: International; Daisy Ridley and John Boyega on The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi; Ben Mendelsohn on Rogue One; the cast of The Lord of the Rings movies; and Christian Bale and Liam Neeson on Batman Begins, to name a few. He was also employed on director Matt Reeves' upcoming film The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson.

For the latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19), including how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick, please visit coronavirus.gov.

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