Stunt professionals live their lives knowing the risks that face them when showing up to work. It’s what both haunts and drives people like stuntman Taraja Ramsess, a recurring talent in Marvel movies and TV since 2018’s Black Panther. Unfortunately that sort of mindset can't even begin to prepare one's family for unexpected tragedy off set.
This much was true after Taraja, and several of his children, were claimed in a fatal automobile accident; with actor Niecy Nash and more paying tribute to his legacy after the announcement of their passing. The news was reported by TMZ, around the time Ramsess’ mother Akili had confirmed the details on Instagram.
Ramsess, pictured above behind Scarlett Johansson in Avengers: Infinity War, was driving with his five children on Halloween night, when a collision occurred with a tractor trailer on an off-ramp in DeKalb County, Georgia. All but two of the passengers died, with the stuntman and his daughters Sundari and Fujibo being pronounced dead on the scene. His son Kisasi would later pass on life support.
As she kept the world updated on matters pertaining to her family, Akili Ramsess’s remembrance of her son and his family drew many fond remembrances and condolences. Through her further social media posts on Instagram came many a reaction like the ones you see below, which also included the likes of director Ava DuVernay among those grieving:
- ‘Sending your family love & prayers. May the grace of God rain down.’ - @niecynash1
- ‘No words matter. But somehow I hope you that feel our tears and our prayers. They are with you. Our love is with you.’ - @ava
- ‘As a Mom who has lost a son, my heart breaks for you. I am truly sorry for your loss. I will pray for your grandbabies as well. My deepest condolences to your family.’ - @tamekafoster
- ‘my deepest condolences on his lost. He was truly an incredible person to work with. We worked on the set of Black Panther together and he’s always been such a joy to be around and full of life and love. Sending you all so much prayers & love. I’m here if I can help with anything.’ - @carriebernans
In addition to performing stunts, Taraja Ramsess started his career in entertainment in the art department of several big name productions. Serving as a set dresser on films like Fast Five and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as well as major TV shows like The Walking Dead, Ramsess would eventually add stunt work to the mix of his career.
Taraja would recur in the world of Marvel movies after working in Black Panther, thanks to work in both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, as well as the recent Disney+ subscription driver She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Stunt driving was also part of his bag of skills, as seen through one of his final credits, thanks to the recent addition to this year’s Netflix movie schedule They Cloned Tyrone.
A versatile talent, Taraja Burress was a behind the scenes player who helped tie everything together through several disciplines. His untimely passing, along with that of his children who did not survive the accident, brings that acknowledgement to the forefront in a bittersweet manner. We here at CinemaBlend extend our deepest condolences to Akili Ramsess, as well as the rest of Taraja’s friends and family, as they navigate this time of deep sorrow and remembrance.
