Award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has died at the age of 66. In a released statement on Saturday (Aug. 19), his manager, Dan Spilo, said his cause of death was “due to a long-standing pulmonary issue.” He is survived by his daughter, Jasmine Cephas Jones.

Across social media, mournful fans and industry peers have begun to share heartfelt tributes to the actor, who most recently was celebrated for his portrayal of William “Shakespeare” Hill on NBC’s “This Is Us.” He won two Emmys, in 2018 and 2020, for the role that saw him play an ailing father with a second chance to amend his relationship with his son, Randall Pearson, played by Sterling K. Brown.

His on-screen son shared an emotionally loaded Instagram post, making reference to his fictional father’s gut-wrenching death in season one. “Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us,” wrote Brown. The post continued, “Ron Cephas Jones has passed away, and the world is a little less bright. Brother, you are loved. And you will be missed. Keep them laughing in the next phase of existence, and I’ll see you when I get there.”

The show’s creator, Dan Fogelman, described the star’s passing as a massive loss. He “was the best of the best — on-screen, onstage, and in real life. The coolest. The easiest hand and laugh. And my God: What an actor,” he tweeted. Fogelman went on to praise the theatrically trained thespian’s acting skills and formidable generosity as a person. “His unbelievable talent was matched only by his kindness. He will be missed by all fortunate enough to call him a colleague and friend, and we send our sincere condolences to his family and friends,” wrote Fogelman.

Octavia Spencer, who worked alongside Ron for three seasons of “Truth Be Told,” remembered him as “a wonderfully kind human being. Every day on set with Ron was a good day … This one is hitting very hard,” read part of her tribute.

During his decadeslong career, Ron also nabbed a Tony nomination for his role in the Broadway stage play “Clydes.” He also made appearances in other notable projects such as He Got Game, Dolemite Is My Name, “The Get Down,” and Marvel’s “Luke Cage.”