Zoe Saldana's Speech at Anton Yelchin's Statue Unveiling Will Leave You Teary-Eyed
It has been a little more than a year since Anton Yelchin's tragic passing, and, on Sunday, the Star Trek actor's friends and family gathered at a star-studded remembrance ceremony, as a statue in his likeness was unveiled at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
The star, who tragically died at age 27 in June 2016, after he was pinned by his own car, was honored at Sunday's service by celebs, such as Jennifer Lawrence, J.J. Abrams, Jon Voigt, Emile Hirsch, and Simon Pegg. However, it was his Star Trek co-star Zoe Saldana's touching words that had the crowd feeling teary-eyed.
Saldana assured everyone that Yelchin's memory would never be forgotten, beginning her commemorative speech: “It is a bitter sweet moment, because we’re here for Anton, and he’s not here with us,” she said. “But, it alleviates my heart knowing that we’ll keep him alive. We’re going to keep remembering him in the hopes that by practicing all the things he believed in and remembering all the love that he gave us, and all the joy he gave us, we’re able to just keep him here with us.”
Saldana shifted gears, reading a passage about friendship from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. “Ever since I read that chapter about friendship, that is the one thing I always try to seek in people, and when I find human beings who truly understand the meaning of friendship, I’m moved and inspired,” she said.
She concluded: "Anton was one of those people.He was an exceptional friend, whether he knew you for five minutes or knew you his whole life. He was just exceptional."
Cue the tears.
