Early this year, the world was shocked when Gaspard Ulliel passed away after a skiing accident. After all, he was set for his major Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Moon Knight next month. Sadly, people are still mourning the death of the Hannibal Rising actor and filmmaker Xavier Dolan decided to pay tribute to Ulliel at the 47th Cesar Film Awards ceremony.
Xavier Dolan had previously worked with Gaspard Ulliel in the 2017 film It's Only The End of the World, which won the Cannes Grand Prix in the same year. Dolan is understandably heartbroken by Ulliel's passing, as confirmed in an emotional letter he read at the Cesar Awards.
"The day he died, I sought out his company by rewatching a number of his films, including A Very Long Engagement…Perhaps I intentionally decided that this film would confirm things that we refuse to see, that I still refuse tonight, for example, to see, to believe," Dolan said.
The filmmaker also pointed out that Ulliel wouldn't want an elegy. "He would have perceived a lack of elegance in this glorification. And he was very elegant…His talent we still have and that, no can take away," Dolan stated.
"It is the privilege of being famous and an actor of his light to be able to count on art to fade us into eternity while other important bereavements for some remain unknown to all or become so quickly evanescent," he continued.
Dolan concludede by saying that "It's a whole world that cried for Gaspard, it's a whole world that still mourns him."
Gaspard Ulliel plays Anton Mogart aka Midnight Man in Moon Knight. The Marvel Cinematic Universe series is one of the final projects he worked on. Ulliel passed away on January 19, 2022, at the age of 37.
Moon Knight also stars Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke. The series will premiere on Disney+ on March 30, 2022.
Related: Moon Knight Writer Reacts to MCU Show Ignoring Character's Jewish Roots
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