Following actor Willis Garson’s untimely death, Jackass star Johnny Knoxville has shared a touching tribute to the late star who once appeared in one of the franchise’s movies. Taking to Instagram, Knoxville posted a couple of photos of Garson, including one showing the actor doing a stunt with some of the guys in the second Jackass film. My buddy Willie Garson passed yesterday and it saddens me greatly,” Knoxville wrote in the post caption. “He was such a bright light, so goddamn funny and a wonderful person even though he liked to complain about everything.”
Knoxville went on to write, “He was very self-aware though and when he was going on a rant it was always in a hilarious way. He would walk into my house and the first thing he would say is, ”Your place is a pigsty,’ which it was of course. Time spent with Willie was time spent laughing.” Knoxville then shared a behind-the-scenes story of when he asked Garson “to film with us for Jackass Number Two.” He joked that “if you watch the footage he was clearly the toughest guy in the bit by a mile.”
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“If memory serves we were tossing around stun guns that had been duct-taped together and me, Ryan Dunn, and Dave England wanted nothing to do with it,” Knoxville recalled. “But Willie was thrilled to try and catch it. Willie was one of a kind and he will be missed dearly. R.I.P. buddy.”
Garson had been battling pancreatic cancer and died on Tuesday after reportedly experiencing a short illness. The star appeared in many iconic TV show but was often most well-known for his role as Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City. He will appear in the upcoming reboot, And Just Like That…, which is set to debut on HBO Max later this year. In a statement to PEOPLE, an HBO/HBO Max spokesperson spoke highly of Garson, saying he was a “bright light” to everyone he encountered.
“Willie Garson was in life, as on-screen, a devoted friend and a bright light for everyone in his universe,” the statement continued. “He created one of the most beloved characters from the HBO pantheon and was a member of our family for nearly twenty-five years.We are deeply saddened to learn of hispassing and extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.”
