Abigail Breslin is paying tribute to his My Sister’s Keeper co-star Evan Ellingson after news of his death.
In a post on Instagram, Breslin remembered Ellingson, who played her big brother in the 2009 film.
“Evan Ellingson was a kind, funny and extremely talented human being,” Breslin shared. “Evan was a genuinely thoughtful person who cared so much about turning in the best performance, which he accomplished. Some of his scenes in MSK still give me chills.”
Breslin continued, “He was also silly, funny, a prankster, a lover of Red Bull (I hated the smell of Red Bull) and he was energetic and the life of the party.”
Although the on-camera siblings didn’t keep in touch after filming, Breslin said that Ellingson, “always stayed in my mind as a wonderful and sweet soul, one I am grateful to have crossed paths with. My prayers and condolences are with his family at this difficult time.”
“Evan, I know Heaven will welcome you with open arms,” she added. “Your time on this earth may have been, devastatingly, short. Your humor, exuberance, kindness and bright light will linger forever. Sending you peace on your journey to the great beyond and who knows… maybe one day, I’ll meet you in Montana.”
Breslin also asked fans not to speculate about details on the cause of death “out of respect for his family including his daughter.”
Ellingson was found dead in his home in Fontana, California on Nov. 5. He played the role of Jesse Fitzgerald in My Sister’s Keeper where he shared credits with Breslin, Cameron Diaz, Jason Patric, Sofia Vassileva, Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack. The film directed by Nick Cassavetes was based on the novel by Jodi Picoult about a young girl diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
