Quinta Brunson, Yvette Nicole Brown and Jeremy O. Harris, among others, are mourning the death of Norman Lear, who died on Tuesday at 101.
In addition to being confirmed by Variety, Lear’s death was announced on his social media accounts. Brunson reposted the statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing: “My Goat. What a life. Rest well, Norman Lear.”
Brown also took to X to express her reaction to his death: “This is such sad news to wake up to. What a titan of this industry. And he was always so lovely when I got to spend time in his presence. I know 101 is a LONG life, but still…this one hurts.”
Harris reflected on the time he spent with Lear, writing: “You were always so kind and curious with new writers and it’s one of the great honors of my life to have gotten to know you even a bit. Your whole family was full of gems and that’s bc you were a crown jewel.”
Lear was an esteemed film and TV writer-producer who was known for conceptualizing the hit 1971-1979 television sitcom “All in the Family,” about a working-class family living in Queens, N.Y. He also played a critical role in championing inclusivity by developing shows that represented Black families with sitcoms like “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times.” Lear ended up becoming a major player in the television landscape of the ’70s and ’80s. He went on to develop other television series like “Maude,” “One Day at a Time” and “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.”
Aside from his socially-conscious work in entertainment, Lear was heavily involved in advocacy work. In 1980, he founded People of the American Way, an organization dedicated to defending democracy by campaigning against the voter suppression of Black men and organizing civil disobedience demonstrations to raise awareness of voting rights.
In 2000, the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism honored Lear with the naming of its entertainment research-focused Norman Lear Center, describing Lear as a “pioneer of a more candid, socially realistic genre of television programming and a champion of democratic values.”
For his achievements in entertainments, Lear was awarded a place in the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame, the 1999 National Medal of Arts, a lifetime award from the Producers Guild of America and multiple awards from the Writers Guild of America. He was also the subject of the 2016 documentary “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You,” which covered Lear’s life and work.