Elvis director Baz Luhrmann has paid tribute to the late Shonka Dukureh following news of her death, with him describing her as having had "tremendous talent".
It was reported last night that that Shonka - who plays blues singer Big Mama Thornton in the newly-released biopic - had been found dead in her Nashville apartment.
The actor, who was just 44, is said to have shared the apartment with her two young children - with officials stating that one of them had found her unresponsive.
Police said the child alerted a neighbour who called 911, with officials stating "no four play is evident," though her death is currently "unclassified," pending autopsy results.
Following the tragic news, there's been an outpouring of tributes for Shonka - including from the director and co-writer of Elvis (2022), which had been her film debut.
Baz, 59, took to Instagram to pay his respects, writing: "A special light went out today and all of the Elvis movie family are heartbroken by the loss of Shonka Dukureh."
"From the moment she came into our world, Shonka brought joy, spirit and of course her voice and her music. Whenever she was on set, on stage or even just in the room, everyone always felt uplifted," he further wrote.
He continued: "Shonka was just starting to find a larger audience for her tremendous talent, and I got to see her uplift whole crowds of people at Coachella and beyond.
"A favorite word of Shonka's, in daily use, was 'blessings,' and I, along with the entire Elvis cast, crew and musical collaborators, feel truly blessed to have had time with her."
Baz concluded the post - which featured photos of Shonka, including one of him on set with her - writing: "We send all our love and support to Shonka’s children and family at this time."
Shonka played Big Mama Thornton in the new biopic about Elvis Presley - in which Austin Butler, 30, portrays the titular singer. She also appears on the film's soundtrack.
Speaking about her experience on the project, she told Shadow and Act back in April: "It's just been a dream. [...] It has really been a chance of a lifetime, this life-altering experience."
