Aisha Hinds is reflecting on the loss of an “integral” member of the 9-1-1 family.
On Saturday, May 11, Rico Priem, a crew member who worked on the police procedural, died at age 66. He worked as a grip for the beloved ABC drama and was involved in a car accident on the highway after working a 14-hour overnight shift on location in Pomona, Calif.
Shortly after the news of his death, Hinds — who plays Henrietta “Hen” Wilson — on the series — paid tribute to Priem and the lasting impression he left on the entire cast and crew in a post shared to Instagram on Tuesday, May 14.
“Devastated,” she began alongside a photo of the show’s title card. “Words….ever insufficient…none able to carry the harrowing heartbreak reverberating through our 9-1-1 family.”
The cast of 9-1-1.
Disney/Chris Willard
“As the industry processes the passing of one of our invaluable and invested individuals—notably loyal, thus lauded and loved for his commitment to his craft and sharing the wisdom he’d gleaned from decades of working in this industry, hearts are heavy navigating feelings of grief and gratitude for the life of Rico Priem,” Hinds continued.
Hinds went on to describe Preim as one of the “unsung heroes of our show” and explained how he was one of the crew members who contribute “an immense amount of time, talent, and tenacity to servicing the stories that fill our screens-small and large.”
“Our crews are the cornerstone of our community,” she continued. “The crew is integral to the execution of every idea that begins in the minds of creatives becoming long lasting memories and moments that live on in the hearts of humanity.”
The cast of ‘9-1-1’.
Disney/Justin Stephens
Sharing how the 9-1-1 cast have “undoubtedly become a family,” Hinds noted how they’ve strived to “comfort and care for each other” over the years.
“Rico graced us with his presence and passion, before he passed away in the early morning hours on Saturday, May 11th,” she said. “It is the hope and the unspoken assumption that when we wrap a days work, we will see each other again to do it all over again the next day. His passing has stilled our hearts and signaled for more conversation and care in that area.”
Hinds concluded her message with expressing her “deep love for our crew” and gave thanks and reverence “for the legacy of Rico Priem.”
“Whispering a gentle prayer to the sacred soft spaces within his family’s hearts that ache in his absence,” she added.
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Average snake many notable credits on his resumeincluding projects such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Star Trek, Christmas With the Kranks, Ghost World, S.W.A.T., and The Company You Keep.
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