Julia Roberts, Lin-Manuel Miranda and More Pay Tribute to ‘True Hero’ Larry Kramer
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After playwright and influential AIDS activist Larry Kramer died on Wednesday, celebrities including Julia Roberts and Lin-Manuel Miranda took to social media to pay tribute.
Kramer, who died at age 84 of pneumonia, is best remembered for his Tony-winning play “The Normal Heart” and as one of the founders of organizations Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACT UP, which advocate for AIDS research and gay rights.
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Roberts, who starred alongside Mark Ruffalo in the movie adaptation of “The Normal Heart,” exclusively told Variety, “He was ferocious and tireless in his beliefs. A true hero that so many people owe their lives to today. I was honored to spend time in his orbit.”
Ruffalo took to social media to offer condolences, writing “Rest in Power, King!”
Rest in Power, King! #LarryKramer https://t.co/lHQ4ooowDd
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) May 27, 2020
Miranda shared a photo of Kramer, adding, “Don’t know a soul who saw or read The Normal Heart and came away unmoved, unchanged. What an extraordinary writer, what a life. Thank you, Larry Kramer.”
Don’t know a soul who saw or read The Normal Heart and came away unmoved, unchanged. What an extraordinary writer, what a life.
Thank you, Larry Kramer. pic.twitter.com/M3hA0cNrCU— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) May 27, 2020
Actor Rob Reiner reminisced about performing in the play “8” with Kramer. “He was a fierce advocate for gay rights,” he wrote. “He and his passionate voice will be missed.”
Sad to hear of Larry Kramer’s passing. We shared the stage in Lance Black’s play, “8” which highlighted our fight for marriage equality. He was a fierce advocate for gay rights. He and his passionate voice will be missed.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) May 27, 2020
Fellow LGBTQ advocate and author Dan Savage echoed Roberts’ sentiments, calling Kramer a hero who “valued every gay life at a time when so many gay men had been rendered incapable of valuing our own lives. He ordered us to love ourselves and each other and to fight for our lives.”
Larry Kramer valued every gay life at a time when so many gay men had been rendered incapable of valuing our own lives. He ordered us to love ourselves and each other and to fight for our lives. He was a hero.
— Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) May 27, 2020
Chelsea Clinton also paid tribute to Kramer, remembering the time she met him: “Reading The Normal Heart as a kid changed my life and I was completely overwhelmed when I first met its author during its 2011 Broadway run.”
Reading The Normal Heart as a kid changed my life and I was completely overwhelmed when I first met its author during its 2011 Broadway run. Devastated to learn of Larry Kramer’s passing and holding all his loved ones in my heart. Rest in power. https://t.co/R22u5rRCIq
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) May 27, 2020
Read more reactions below:
Larry Kramer was an American original who got loud, acted up, and saved many LGBTQ lives. His unrelenting efforts won’t be forgotten and should be held up as an example of a timeless truth: “the one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 27, 2020
God Bless You, Larry Kramer. Everyone in the LGBTQ community owes you a debt of gratitude.
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) May 27, 2020
I never met Larry Kramer but it feels like a close member of my family has died. Larry Kramer. A name that will always be synonymous with speaking out when it’s inconvenient, with righteous anger, with saving my community from extinction.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) May 27, 2020
Larry Kramer. What a life. 84 years old. Changed the world with his anger and vision. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/i7uB4RWd9O
— Tim Federle (@TimFederle) May 27, 2020
Rest in power to an icon and true fighter until the very end. We thank you, Larry Kramer. https://t.co/arggtehkYx
— Janet Mock (@janetmock) May 27, 2020
invincible – #heartbreaking – American hero Larry Kramer, Playwright and Outspoken AIDS Activist, Dies at 84 https://t.co/bYPqzRgBYH
— ROSIE (@Rosie) May 27, 2020
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