Canadian actor Jonathan Crombie who is best known for playing Gilbert Blythe in the Anne of Green Gables series died from a brain haemorrhage on April 15 in New York.
Crombie, who was the son of former Toronto Mayor and Canadian Cabinet Minister David Crombie, went on to star in The Drowsy Chaperone on Broadway in 2007 and in appeared in various television roles in recent years.
His sister Carrie Crombie told CBC that her brother was “always proud of playing Gilbert.”
“He was funny, he was sweet, he loved acting, he loved comedy and singing and dancing. As a little kid, he just loved Broadway shows and all of that kind of stuff and would sing and dance in the living room,” she told CBC.
Playing opposite actress Megan Follows in the three films, Follows told CBC that it was a “big shock” when learning of Mr. Crombie’s death.
“He was incredibly funny, Jonathan just had an amazing sense of humour,” she said.
“Truly I just remember at times just laughing so hard that you’d just be crying. He was so playful and silly and as I said really bright, so his humour was always informed with that, which made him even funnier.”
“He had that beautiful face. He was a lot of fun he was very open so you just felt he was someone who really wanted to play and it really was a new experience for him,” she said.
Born in 1966, Crombie was discovered at the age of 17 and went on to star in the three films Anne of Green Gables (1985), Anne of Avonlea (1987) and Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story (2000) as Gilbert Blythe.