‘Speed Racer’ actor Christian Oliver, his 2 daughters die in Caribbean plane crash

NEW DELHI, JAN 6 : German-origin US actor Christian Oliver, who starred in movies alongside Tom Cruise and George Clooney during a 30-year career, was killed in a plane crash off the coast of a Caribbean island on Thursday, The Guardian reported. His two daughters have also died in the crash.

Oliver (51), who was born Christian Klepser, and his daughters were passengers on a single-engine aeroplane that departed around 12:10 pm (local time) from the Bequia island airport in St Vincent and the Grenadines, as per authorities.

The Royal St Vincent and Grenadines police force reported that the plane, en route to St Lucia, encountered unspecified difficulties shortly after takeoff, leading to a crash into the sea.

Upon the crash, fishers, divers, and coast guard members rushed to the spot, recovering the bodies of the four individuals on board, including Oliver (51), his daughters Annik (10) and Madita Klepser (12), and the plane’s pilot and owner, Robert Sachs. Medical staff on-site pronounced them all dead.

The coast guard transported the bodies to a local mortuary by boat, and autopsies were pending as of Friday to determine the exact causes of death.

The incident led to an outpouring of condolences for the late actor. Oliver, who had recently finished filming his final scenes for the upcoming film “Forever Hold Your Peace”, received tributes from the film’s director, Nick Lyon, and co-star Bai Ling. Lyon reminisced about their collaborations and thanked Oliver for being a great colleague, actor, and friend, while Ling praised him as a brave actor and beautiful person.

Oliver’s acting journey began in 1994 with a role in “Saved by the Bell: The New Class”. Over the years, he contributed to various projects, including films like “The Good German”, “Speed Racer”, and “Valkyrie”. Aside from his role in “Forever Hold Your Peace,” Oliver’s recent credits included voice work for the “Call of Duty” and “Medal of Honor” video game series in 2017 and 2020.

-The India Today