Actor Jessie Lawrence Ferguson was found dead in his bed by his son, Jace, on April 26. Best known for his role in Boyz n the Hood , the actor was 76-years-old at the time of his passing.
The actor’s official cause of death has not been reported as of yet. Local authorities, however, do not suspect any foul play, as Ferguson appears to have died of natural causes.
Speaking to TMZ , Jace reveals the death of his father came as an extreme shock, as he was active and seemingly healthy just days prior.
“He was a strong, beautiful intelligent black man and he wanted the best for his son and all people,” Jace said.
As TMZ reported in a separate piece, this news came especially hard for Boyz n the Hood fans, as the 51-year-old director of the film, John Singleton, is currently in a coma after suffering from a “major stroke.”
Initially, the director’s family members described the stroke as “mild.” Legal documentation obtained by TMZ , however, reveal his mother has petitioned a judge to appoint her as the temporary conservator of her son because he is “unable to properly provide for his personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.”
According to People Magazine , Singleton’s family is currently clashing in court over his medical condition, as his daughter Cleopatra has argued her grandmother is “misrepresenting his condition” as her father is “not in a coma.”
“Although they do not have a concrete diagnosis, my dad is progressing every day and in that meeting [with] the doctor [said] that he could be out of the ICU in 5 days,” Cleopatra explained. She insisted that her grandmother was just trying to take advantage of the situation in order to drain her father’s estate.
Jessie Lawrence Ferguson who appeared as “Panhandler”, who robbed an undercover Belker ‘Chipped Beef’ passed away on Friday aged 76. R.I.P pic.twitter.com/qF7QP1t4vw
— Hill Street Blues (@HSBFans) April 28, 2019
“My father is breathing on his own. He is only medically sedated to keep his blood pressure low and allow the vessels in his brain to heal,” she added.
According to Hollywood Life , Ferguson has many other credits on his Hollywood resume in addition to Boys n the Hood . It was not until the late ’70s that his acting career really took off after he landed a role in the TV series Starsky and Hutch . From there, he went on to appear in several other titles including The Chosen One, All Night Long, Amazons, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Prince of Darkness, The Presidio , and Darkman .
Ferguson, however, appeared to have retired from his acting career sometime before his passing, with the last title on his resume being 1995’s The Chosen One.
Rest in peace, Jessie Lawrence Ferguson.