Tippi Hedren joins the rest of Hollywood in mourning the passing of legendary actor Rod Taylor.
Rod Taylor suffered a heart attack and passed away on Wednesday evening after a dinner party.
He was 84.
Tippi Hedren starred with Taylor in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film, The Birds. This was one of his most notable roles, but Rod Taylor was no Hollywood slouch.
Taylor, born in Australia, was in over 50 Hollywood films during his long and enduring career.
Tippi Hedren had nothing but praise for her former co-star.
“There are so many incredible feelings I have for him. Rod was a great pal to me and a real strength, we were very, very good friends,” Hedren said in a statement.
She added, “He was one of the most fun people I have ever met, thoughtful and classy, there was everything good in that man.”
Besides having the honor of starring opposite of Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor enjoyed rising to fame with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars over the course of his lifetime. Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jane Fonda are among those who shared the screen with Taylor.
Rod Taylor is survived by his wife of 35 years, Carol, and his daughter, Felicia, who is a former anchor for CNN.
In a statement, Felicia gave the rest of us a peek into her father’s life in Hollywood.
She said, “My dad loved his work. Being an actor was his passion – calling it an honorable art and something he couldn’t live without.”
She added, “He once said, ‘I am a poor student sitting at the feet of giants, yearning for their wisdom and begging for lessons that might one day make me a complete artist, so that if all goes well, I may one day sit beside them.'”
What beautiful insight from a great actor.