Emmy Award-Winning Producer Ash Christian Dead at 35: 'The World Lost One of the Good Ones'
The late producer died in his sleep on Thursday while vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Ash Christian, an Emmy Award-winning producer, actor and founder of Cranium Entertainment, has died. He was 35.
Christian died in his sleep on Thursday while vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.
The late producer ran his own New York-based production company where he produced numerous films including 1985, Hurricane Bianca, Little SisterĀ and Coin Heist. His credits as an actor included roles on Cleaners,Ā The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Law & Order and Person of Interest.
Christian was listed as a producer on numerous projects currently in production including As Sick As They Made Us,Ā Mayim Bialikās directorial debut starring Dustin Hoffman, andĀ The Sixth Reel, starring Charles Busch and Doug Plaut, per his IMDB page.
Born on Jan. 16, 1985, Christian began writing and directing short films at the age of 14 before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his acting dreams just two years later, according to Deadline.
At age 19, he wrote, directed and starred in his first feature film, Fat Girls (2006). The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won an award for outstanding emerging talent at L.A. Outfest.
Then in 2014, Christian won a Daytime Emmy for outstanding special-class short-format daytime program for mI Promise. He shared the award with producing partner Anne Clements and executive producers Lauralee Bell and Scott Martin.
Christian was based in Dallas and had previously lived in New York, where he also dabbled in theater, even working as co-producer on Broadway's Next to Normal, which won three Tony Awards.
An array of actors and fellow producers who worked with Christian over the years paid tribute to their late colleague.
"Ash was a great friend, colleague and partner in crime. He was a champion of indie film and filmmakers and his love of the process of putting movies together was infectious," Clements shared in a statement obtained by THR. "My heart goes out to his family, especially his mother. The world lost one of the good ones."
RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio, who starred inĀ Hurricane Bianca, shared an emotional social media post to mourn her friend's death, writing, "2020 is a rough year. @ashchristian you will be missed. š. Thank you for always having faith in me. Rest well, my friend š."
Actress Hannah Marks similarly shared her condolences on social media as well, tweeting, "Rest In Peace, bright light Ash Christian. He produced our first movie and was the reason it got made. He connected everyone in the independent film community. A huge loss."
Thora Burch added in her own tweet, "One of my very few truly wonderful friends. He was genuinely hilarious and to loose [sic] him is just... I canāt even say."