Anton Yelchin’s Death Was Tragic. In Love, Antosha, Celebrities Share Their Fondest (& Craziest) Memories Of Him

Three years ago, actor Anton Yelchin was found dead in his Los Angeles driveway, pinned between his Jeep Grand Cherokee and a brick pillar. It’s the kind of freak accident that’s hard to accept, let alone make sense of. How could someone so young, so talented, be snuffed out in an instant, in such a random and horrifying way?

Love, Antosha doesn’t try to gloss over the tragedy. Rather, Garret Price’s documentary, which hits theaters August 2, acts as an outlet for those closest to the actor — including his parents, Irina and Viktor Yelchin, and his childhood friends — to share their memories. Narrated by Nicholas Cage (believe me, he isn’t even the most surprising celebrity showcased in this movie), who also reads from Yelchin’s own writings, it’s a touching portrait of a lively, fascinating and highly intelligent young actor, with a wicked sense of humor and a voracious appetite for adventure.

There’s something for everyone. Fans of Yelchin’s work will gain new insights into his life and interests — including his long struggle with cystic fibrosis, revealed here for the first time — while those with only a passing interest might discover a precocious young boy who grew into one of Hollywood’s most promising talents, a fact that makes his death sting all the more.

The film traces Yelchin’s short lifespan, featuring home videos of the actor growing up in Los Angeles as the child of Russian immigrants, his vivacity and showmanship evident even back then. Through emails, letters and footage, we see just how close he was to his parents, and how devoted to his friends. We view him unfiltered, in all his complexities: a nice, loving kid who also pursued his budding interest in photography by moonlighting in sex dungeons, whose idea of a relaxing afternoon meant translating a Russian philosophy tract, or jamming with his punk band.

But Love, Antosha is also a striking reminder of just how prolific Yelchin was at such a young age. By age 27, he had starred in 69 film and TV projects, and co-starred with the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Willem Dafoe, Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jodie Foster — along with Stark Trek franchise staples like Chris Pine and John Cho. It’s a diverse collection of Hollywood talent — some knew him as a child actor, others as a drinking partner — but what comes through, more than anything, is just how beloved he was.

Ahead, we round up all the celebrities who appear in Love, Antosha, and some of their best quotes about him from the film.