Dialect coach and actor Andrew Jack passed away this morning at the age of 76 due to coronavirus complications. According to TMZ, Jack’s rep Jill McCullough reported that he was set up in a hospital outside of London after testing positive for COVID-19. Jack’s wife was unable to be with her husband in England as she was already quarantined in Australia amidst the global pandemic.

Jack had most recently been hired to be the dialect coach on Matt Reeves’ upcoming Batman remake starring Robert Pattinson. However, The Batmans filming has been put on hold until conditions become safer to film. He is perhaps best known for his work on the Star Wars sequel trilogy, playing Major Ematt in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi as well as giving accent training to the movies’ stars.

Jack helped build the believable worlds of several high profile action films over his 30-plus year career with his dialect coaching. Some of the most well-known movies he worked on are Avengers: Endgame, Sherlock Holmes, Lord of the Rings, Captain America, and Men In Black: International. His roster of actors he’s worked with includes Viggo Mortensen, Christian Bale, and Robert Downey, Jr.

As the coronavirus continues to pose a threat worldwide, we have already experienced the tragic losses of renowned restauranteur Floyd Cardoz and prolific playwright Terrence McNally. On the brighter side, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are in the recovery process after their COVID-19 diagnosis, being allowed to return to their Los Angeles home.

UPDATE: The Batman director Matt Reeves posted this comment on Jack’s passing on Twitter:

Christopher Miller, of Lord and Miller, the original directors of Solo: A Star Wars Story, posted this tribute as well:

Here’s Phil Lord’s tribute to Andrew Jack:

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