Lee Weaver dead: Donnie Darko legend dies as fans pay tribute to 'true icon'

Lee Weaver has sadly died at the age of 95. The Hollywood actor, who starred in everything from Donnie Darko to O Brother, Where Art Thou, died at his Los Angeles home, with the news confirmed by his family in a statement. Said statement said Lee "wove joy, depth and representation into every role he played and everything he did".

As well as his film work, Lee was known for starring in TV shows including My Name is Earl and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, as well as starring alongside Steve Carell in 2005 release The 40-Year-Old Virgin. One of his last roles was as Mel in Netflix series Grace and Frankie.

Tributes have been flooding in from fans and friends, with Louis Hayes posting on Facebook: "Louis Hayes extends his condolences to the family of Lee Weaver, a dear friend who made his transition recently, at age 95.

"For those of you that are unfamiliar with him, Lee Weaver enjoyed a long, successful career as a veteran character actor of some very well known TV shows and films, going back as far as the 1950s. He was also a vocalist, a childhood friend of Cannonball Adderley and a longtime supporter of Jazz music."

Another fan said: "I'm sorry to learn of Mr Lee Weaver's passing. Every now and then, this actor would come across my mind. I truly enjoyed the characters he played over the many years. My condolences are with his family at this time."

Somebody else said: "RIP Lee Weaver, he worked from 1955-2020 and had almost 150 credits."

Lee is survived by his wife of 54 years, fellow actress Ta-Tanisha, and their daughter Leis La-Te. A public memorial service has been planned later this year for the actor, though he will have a private funeral.