Hollywood is in mourning with the loss of longtime character actor Christian Oliver, 51, and his two children in a tragic plane crash in the Caribbean.
The crash took place on Thursday while Oliver and his two daughters, 10-year-old Madita Klepser and 12-year-old Annik Klepser, were flying in a small, single-engine plane with its pilot, Robert Sachs, off the coast of small Caribbean island Petit Nevis. Local authorities reported the plane began suffering from mechanical issues shortly after take-off when it plummeted and crashed into the ocean, according to the St. Vincent Times.
Local residents who saw the crash said they heard a “sputtering sound” from the small plane shortly after takeoff before it began its nosedive. An unnamed aviation expert, who spoke with the St. Vincent Times, said the plane appeared to stall-out fairly quickly after takeoff and the pilot was unable to recover.
#ChristianOliver, passed away on Thursday along with his two daughters after their small plane crashed into the water off the coast of a Caribbean island.
Our condolences to the family and friends. pic.twitter.com/hu1YHuFjqm
— Filmfare (@filmfare) January 6, 2024
“It sounded like when a vehicle is struggling—you know, stalling, struggling for power to go up a hill,” said resident Danroy Joseph.
The bodies have since been transported to mainland St. Vincent to undergo examinations to identify the cause of death for all four involved.
Oliver's passing resulted in an outpouring of grief and love from several individuals who had worked with the German actor.
“I cried cried, it was our first and last film together, I loved working with him so much … He was so. nice, worked so hard and [was] such a brave actor and a beautiful gentle person,” actress Bai Ling shared in a post on Instagram.
Oliver's career dates back to the mid-90s, where he got one of his first big breaks starring as Brian Keller in season two of Saved by the Bell: The New Class. He would continue working as an actor and model up until his death, most often landing supporting roles in everything from smaller, indie-fare to major tentpole releases including 2006's The Good German and 2009's Valkyrie.
One of his biggest roles came in 2008's Speed Racer where he appeared as Snake Oiler, a racer who uses underhanded tactics to defeat the film's titular hero. He would, however, fail to defeat Speed and was ultimately knocked out of the film's centerpiece endurance race.
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