Vince Gilligan's Tribute to 'El Camino' Star Robert Forster Might Make You Cry

Veteran actor and class act Robert Forster, 78, passed away on the same day of the release of his final role in Netflix and Vince Gilligan's El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. 

The film, which chronicles Jesse (Aaron Paul) struggling to escape New Mexico law enforcement following his escape from the White Supremacist meth compound he was enslaved at, has garnered solid reviews -- especially for Forster's role. Adding to the list of Hollywood talents praising the late actor is Gilligan himself, who -- shared by Deadline -- penned an excellent tribute to the late actor and star of such films as Jackie Brown. 

"For seven years, I’ve had a letter opener on my bedside table. It’s a sort of Art Moderne steel teardrop, graceful yet substantial. Robert Forster gave it to me when we first met. He was in the habit of giving them to people he felt he’d had interesting interactions with. Everywhere he went, he carried dozens of them, individually boxed and gift-wrapped. I remember them being in a sack, the way Santa Claus would do it. I asked how many he’d given away over the years. He said he’d lost count.

I think of Bob as the Spencer Tracy of his generation. He’d never let anybody catch him at acting, but he was so damned great at it. Graceful yet substantial. In a just universe, he’d have a shelf full of Oscars. Even so, I can’t imagine him worrying much about that.

He was such a good guy. He always reminded me of my Dad… which is weird, because they’re not much alike. I’ll bet he reminded a lot of people of their Dads."

Paul also released an emotional tribute to his colleague over the weekend, who passed away due to brain cancer. 

And we can't think of a better way to acknowledge the late actor than with his own words, as seen in this video making the rounds where Forster reveals how Tarantino helped save his career with the life-changing role in Jackie Brown.