Emmy nominated hair stylist Charles Gregory Ross died on Wednesday from coronavirus. He is remembered by many of the Hollywood stars he worked with over the years, including Tyler Perry, Viola Davis, Rosario Dawson and Lee Daniels.
Ross announced his diagnosis via Instagram on March 25, “News flash, News flash. I have just been diagnosed with the coronavirus. This is no joke, people.” He shared a second post with a photo of himself in the hospital asking, “Do I look ok?” This was the last post he shared on social media.
Throughout his career, he worked in the makeup and hair department of both film and TV projects including Remember the Titans, Drumline, Idlewild, House of Payne, Madea Goes to Jail, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Lila & Eve, Vice, and Zola. Ross earned his Primetime Emmy nomination in 2005 for his work in the film Lackawanna Blues.
Ross’ frequent collaborator Perry shared a photo of them together on Wednesday that also serves as a message to encourage the Black community to stay home. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that one in three people infected by COVID-19 in the first month were African American.
“Dear Black People, Today it’s with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of one of our crew members,” he captioned the photo. “Mr. Charles Gregory was a hairstylist that had worked with us for many years. The man was warm, loving and hilarious. We all loved to see him coming and hear his laughter. Charles lost his battle with COVID-19 today. It saddens me to think of him dying this way. My sincerest prayers are with his family.”
He continued, “While everyone can contract this virus it is black people who are dying from it in much larger numbers. This thing is real, black people. I heard a black person say, ‘Black people don’t get it.’ That is a lie! You can get it, and you will get it if we don’t do what we’re being told to do.”
