Rigger Falls to His Death at Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg
The worker, a veteran local subcontractor who has not yet been identified, died while working on lighting
Itay Hod | December 2, 2018 @ 9:09 AM
Last Updated: December 2, 2018 @ 9:42 AM
A Global Citizen Festival rigger accidentally fell to his death during preparation for the event in Johannesburg, TheWrap has learned.
The worker, a veteran local subcontractor who has not yet been identified, died Saturday at FNB Stadium after falling from the roof as he was working on lighting, according to a person with knowledge.
“This afternoon in Johannesburg, a rigger working on behalf of a production partner for the Global Citizen Festival, suffered fatal injuries arising from a fall at the site,” Andrew Kirk, Global Citizen’s director of public relations told TheWrap in a statement. “Global Citizen has been advised that the deceased was an experienced rigger and was wearing all appropriate safety gear and equipment.”
“Global Citizen extends our deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased and all of his colleagues and friends,” the statement went on to say.
According to Global Citizen, the circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated in partnership with local authorities.
This year’s event, titled “Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100,” honors Nelson Mandela’s 100 birthday. Oprah Winfrey will deliver a keynote address at the event, which will include performances by Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams, Chris Martin, Ed Sheeran, Black Coffee, Usher and Kacey Musgraves, among others.
“The Daily Show’s” Trevor Noah will host the event, along with Naomi Campbell, Dave Chappelle, Gayle King, Sir Bob Geldof, Bozoma Saint John and Forest Whitaker.
The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music festival which was founded in 2012 and organized by Global Poverty Project.
Since its start, the organization has secured over $30 billion, which is set to affect the lives of one billion people suffering from extreme poverty, according to its site.
You can watch the festival Sunday night on MSNBC, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
18 Stars Who Lost Major Weight for a Role, From Christian Bale to Joaquin Phoenix (Photos)
Actors like Taylor Kitsch, Chris Hemsworth and Anne Hathaway have undergone dramatic weight loss for roles. Some of them have even been recognized with Oscars for their intense physical dedication.
Tom Hanks - "Philadelphia" (1993)
Tom Hanks lost 26 pounds for his Oscar-winning turn as AIDS patient Andrew Beckett in "Philadelphia."
Christian Bale became frighteningly thin for "The Machinist," dropping 60 pounds. This would not be the only time he would put his body through an extreme transformation, going to similar lengths for his part in "The Fighter" and "Rescue Dawn."
Anne Hathaway opened up her mouth to sing -- but apparently not to eat much -- for "Les Miserables," shedding around 25 pounds (not to mention a whole lot of hair in one harrowing scene) for the Oscar-winning role.
Matthew McConaughey upped his profile and won practically every possible acting award -- including an Oscar -- after dropping nearly 40 pounds to play a Texan with AIDS for the "Dallas Buyers Club."
McConaughey's co-star Jared Leto was no slouch in the weight-loss department either, shedding 30 to 40 pounds and picking up his own Oscar in the process.
Zoe Kravitz weighed just 90 pounds at the time of filming for "The Road Within," having lost 20 pounds for the part. But she revealed that like her character in that movie, she too had struggled with anorexia in her real life.
Chris Hemsworth - "In the Heart of the Sea" (2015)
Chris Hemsworth shocked the internet when the "Thor" hunk revealed the dramatic weight loss he endured to play a shipwreck survivor in the fact-based period drama.
Liam Neeson shed some serious weight for Martin Scorsese's historical drama "Silence." Then 65, Neeson at one point said he took his weight loss "too far" in service of the part.
Lily Collins had struggled with anorexia and bulimia in her own life, but she said that losing weight to play a woman suffering from anorexia was important to do justice to the role. She then worked closely with nutritionists to ensure she actually gained the weight back.
Netflix
Taylor Kitsch - "Waco" (2018)
Taylor Kitsch revealed on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" that he lost 30 pounds to play cult leader David Koresh in Paramount Network's limited series "Waco." “I’d get 500 calories at breakfast and then it would go from like veggies in the mid-afternoon to chicken broth after 4 o’ clock. And then you go run, which is awesome!” he said.
Paramount Network
Joaquin Phoenix - "Joker" (2019)
The actor lost 52 pounds to play the role of Arthur Fleck, the troubled and deranged comedian who becomes the iconic Batman villain Joker. This was shortly after Phoenix beefed up to play a hitman in Lynne Ramsay's "You Were Never Really Here." "Joker" director Todd Phillips told Vanity Fair that the actor resembled a bird from the Gulf of Mexico having tar rinsed off its body.
Warner Bros.
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From Anne Hathaway to Beyoncé and Matthew McConaughey, Hollywood stars have a history of getting small for the big screen
Actors like Taylor Kitsch, Chris Hemsworth and Anne Hathaway have undergone dramatic weight loss for roles. Some of them have even been recognized with Oscars for their intense physical dedication.