Acclaimed author Dame Jilly Cooper has passed away. Her death has devastated her family and the cast of the Disney adaptation of one of her novels.
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On October 5, Jilly Cooper took a fall in her Bisley home in Gloucestershire. The incident cost the 88-year-old her life, as reported by Gloucestershire Live.
The author is most known for her novel Rivals, the second entry in her Rutshire Chronicles saga. It was picked up by Disney+, who pulled in an all-star cast to perform her story on the big screen.
After hearing word of her death, the cast were in the middle of filming season 2 of the show, according to a statement shared by The Independent. They were deeply upset with her passing.
Family Of Jilly Cooper Are “So Proud” Of Her
Jilly Cooper’s children, Felix and Emily, said, “Mum was the shining light in all of our lives.”
“Her love for all of her family and friends knew no bounds. Her unexpected death has come as a complete shock,” they continued. “We are so proud of everything she achieved in her life and can’t begin to imagine life without her infectious smile and laughter all around us.”
Jilly Cooper’s agent, Felicity Blunt, paid her many compliments in a long statement before writing, “I have lost a friend, an ally, a confidante and a mentor. But I know she will live forever in the words she put on the page and on the screen.”
‘Rivals’ Cast Also Grieve The Loss Of Jilly Cooper
Rufus Jones, who plays MP Paul Stratton, wrote, “We are almost exactly halfway through filming series two of Rivals, and have just heard that Dame Jilly has left us. What an extraordinary woman.”
He is “still giddy at being in the realm of this fantastic person.”
Alex Hassell, who plays Rupert Campbell-Black, made an Instagram post about the tragedy. “So sad to have lost our wonderful Jilly. So incredibly grateful to have gotten to know her. This magical woman changed my life,” he wrote.
“She was so kind and supportive to me in portraying her hero Rupert. I’m so pleased I got to see her on set the other day, and pretty much the last things she said to me was that she was proud of me.”
Danny Dyer commented under Hassell’s post with love hearts.