Stars gathered at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Sunday to celebrate the life of Star Trek star Anton Yelchin. Yelchin was only 27 when he died in a tragic accident last year, after his car pinned him outside his own house. People reports that those attending the celebration of life ceremony included his Star Trek costar Zoë Saldana and Star Trek director J.J. Abrams, as well as Jennifer Lawrence (who starred alongside Yelchin in Like Crazy), Jon Voight, Simon Pegg, Demi Moore, and Rumer Willis.
During the ceremony, Saldana shared a few words about her former costar. She said his friends and family would "keep him alive" by "remembering all the love he gave" them.
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"It is a bittersweet moment, because we're here for Anton, and he's not here with us," Saldana said. "But it alleviates my heart knowing that we'll keep him alive. We're going to keep remembering him in the hopes that by practicing all the things he believed in and remembering all the love that he gave us, and all the joy he gave us, we're able to just keep him here with us."
The actress also read a passage from Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, saying Yelchin was a great example of friendship.
"Ever since I read that chapter about friendship, that is the one thing I always try to seek in people, and when I find human beings who truly understand the meaning of friendship, I'm moved and inspired," Saldana said. "Anton was one of those people... He was an exceptional friend, whether he knew you for five minutes or knew you his whole life. He was just exceptional."
Other speakers at the event included director Fred Parnes as well as the actor's mom, Irina. She announced that the family would continue the actor's legacy by erecting a statue of him at the cemetery and creating the Anton Yelchin Foundation, which "empowers children and filmmaking students," according to Extra. Yelchin's family also held a private funeral for him last year, E! News notes.
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