Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and James Cameron are among those who have paid tribute to lauded producer Jon Landau, who died Friday at the age of 63.
“Jon was an incredibly kind, wise, and empathetic soul, who wanted to create nothing but a positive impact on anyone or anything approached,” DiCaprio said in a statement of the late producer on Sunday, via Deadline. “His legacy and leadership will live on forever. My condolences are with his entire family. Rest in peace; you will be deeply missed.” DiCaprio portrayed Jack Dawson in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, which earned Landau and Cameron a Best Picture Oscar.
Co-star Kate Winslet — who portrayed Dawson’s love interest Rose DeWitt Bukater, which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress — told Deadline on Saturday she had known Landau “since I was 20 years old.” She added: “His passion for filmmaking only deepened with age.”
“Jon Landau was the kindest and best of men,” she said. “He was a man who was rich with compassion and exceptional at supporting and nurturing teams of phenomenal creative people.”
In addition to her starring role in Titanic, Winslet reconnected with Landau and Cameron for 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water, where she voiced Ronal. The Avatar sequel is the third highest grossing film of all time, with Titanic — the first film to break $1 billion at the box office globally — ranking at Number Four (Avatar sits at Number One and Avengers: Endgame is Number Two).
“His strength in life was knowing the importance of family, at home and at work,” Winslet continued. “He was always full of smiles and gratitude. I can’t believe I am writing this, can’t believe he is gone.”
Director James Cameron, with whom Landau formed a close working partnership for a fruitful three decades, shared a statement on Saturday: “The Avatar family grieves the loss of our friend and leader, Jon Landau. His zany humor, personal magnetism, great generosity of spirit and fierce will have held the center of our Avatar universe for almost two decades. His legacy is not just the films he produced, but the personal example he set — indomitable, caring, inclusive, tireless, insightful and utterly unique.”