Jim Brown has passed away at the age of 87. A titanic figure in the world of sports, the former Cleveland Browns fullback has been inducted into both the NCAA Hall of Fame and the NFL Hall of Fame. On top of his sports stardom, Brown was a staunch Civil Rights activist, a fact that was highlighted by the 2020 film One Night in Miami, which depicted an evening he spent in the company of Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Muhammad Ali.
Today, a tragic post was shared on Brown‘s official Instagram account.
The post contained a message from Brown’s wife Monique Brown, who confirmed that he passed away last night at his home in L.A. at the age of 87. In her heartfelt message, she said that “he passed peacefully” and honored the fact that he was “a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather.”
Jim Brown’s Hollywood Legacy Explained
In addition to being a titanic figure in the world of sports and activism, Brown is a major Hollywood figure. In the mid-1960s, like many sports stars, he began to dabble in acting. However, unlike the majority of his peers, these experiments blossomed into a full-fledged film career.
He began to take on more and more lead roles after playing the character Robert T. Jefferson in the 1967 war drama The Dirty Dozen. He now holds more than 50 film credits, including roles in the blaxploitation classics Slaughter, Three the Hard Way, and the parody I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. His film roles, which also included Mars Attacks!, Small Soldiers, Any Given Sunday, and most recently Draft Day, gave him an even wider platform for his social activism, allowing him to occupy multiple spheres in pop culture.
Brown’s legacy extends well beyond any onscreen roles as well. On top of being played by Aldis Hodge in One Night in Miami, the design of Marvel Comics’ Blade is heavily inspired by Brown among many other tributes to the icon. A truly titanic figure whose influence spreads far and wide, Jim Brown will be sorely missed by his friends, family, and fans.
Source: Jim Brown/Instagram
