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Anne Heche’s former partner, James Tupper, thanked their former “Men in Trees” co-star, Emily Bergl, for a moving tribute to the late actress shared online after Heche died and was removed from life support on Sunday following a car crash nine days before in Los Angeles.
Bergl explained how Heche redefined the term “crazy” as she was “not only a genius, but one of the most astoundingly focused and prepared actors I’ve ever worked with.”
She shared on Instagram: “‘You worked with crazy Anne Heche?’ ‘So how crazy was she?’ I worked with Anne Heche for two years on the TV show Men in Trees, and this line of questioning was usually the first out of people’s mouths. She elicited more curiosity than any other famous person I’ve ever worked with. I’d like to give you the answers to the questions I most received about Anne, answers that I gave many, many times.”
Tupper, who also shared the small screen with the actresses on the production which ran from 2006-08, showed gratitude for Bergl’s post defending his ex. Tupper and Heche dated for 11 years and have one son together, Atlas.
ANNE HECHE, 53, ‘PEACEFULLY TAKEN OFF LIFE SUPPORT’
Anne Heche’s ex, James Tupper (seen on the left with the late actress in 2017) thanked their former “Men in Trees” co-star Emily Bergl (right, 2017) for defending Heche online after she died.
(Getty Images.)
“I don’t think I ever saw her miss her mark. I imagine she may have called for her line once or twice but I can’t recall her ever needing it. I asked her what her secret was, and she told me her first job was playing twins on Another World, so she had to memorize up to seventy pages of dialogue a day,” Bergl wrote.
“The only joke I did make about Anne was that it’s likely she didn’t have a psychotic break, but really was an alien, because her strength seemed super human. She would work for twelve hours, invite everyone to the bar, drink a couple of doubles, and be back at work at four AM. As I would roll in feeling barely human, she would walk into the makeup trailer, always on time, her smiling face luminous without a lick of makeup.”
She wrote that Heche’s work “would be flawless” scene after scene, and yet still felt spontaneous. “I don’t think she was capable of phoning it in. And then she would do it all again the next day,” she added.
“It’s no wonder Anne titled her brilliant memoir Call Me Crazy, she beat everyone to the punch. She was talking about mental health before it was acceptable to talk about those struggles.”
James Tupper and Anne Heche dated for 11 years after meeting on “Men in Trees.”
(Todd Williamson/Getty Images for THR)
Bergl detailed Heche’s difficult upbringing with claims of abuse at the hands of her father, in addition to the sudden death of her brother and banishment by her mother.
“But despite a sometimes harrowing life, she was so much fun to be around. She was insouciant, joyous, insightful,” Bergl wrote. “We so rarely investigate the abuse, the gaslighting, the misogyny, the homophobia that drives people to finally take up the ‘crazy’ mantle that’s been placed upon them.
“I would tell you to read Call Me Crazy, but it’s now $200 on Amazon. I paid it because I want to read it again. She was a true genius, and I miss her.”
Tupper was one of thousands of comments, and wrote: “Oh god thank you for writing this. Is all completely accurate and true. love you e.”
Heche and Tupper began dating in 2007 through 2018. They never married, but share son Atlas, 13.
ANNE HECHE DUI INVESTIGATION DISMISSED BY LAPD FOLLOWING ACTRESS’ DEATH
The “Men in Trees” cast in 2006 included, from left: Emily Bergl, John Amos, Anne Heche, James Tupper and Suleka Mathew
(Jeffrey Mayer)
“Anne Heche has been peacefully taken off life support,” a representative for Heche confirmed to Fox News Digital on Sunday.
Heche suffered a “severe anoxic brain injury” and remained “in a coma” under medical care at the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills for the opportunity to donate her organs through the OneLegacy Foundation.
“It has long been her choice to donate her organs and she’s being kept on life support to determine if any are viable,” her representative said last week following the collision.
Heche’s son, Homer, confirmed the loss of his mother in a statement shared with Fox News on Friday.
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“My brother Atlas and I lost our Mom. After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness. Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom,” he said.
“Over those six days, thousands of friends, family, and fans made their hearts known to me. I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley, and my stepmom Alexi who continue to be my rock during this time. Rest In Peace Mom, I love you, Homer.”
Anne Heche (pictured in 2010) was removed from life support on Sunday and will donate her organs. The actress was declared brain-dead and died on Friday after a fiery crash the week before.
(Jeff Kravitz)
Heche suffered a “significant pulmonary injury” and needed “mechanical ventilation” with “burns that require surgical intervention” following the collision in Mar Vista on Aug. 5 in which she crashed her Mini Cooper into a house.
Heche found small screen success on soap operas in the 1980s, and she portrayed twins on “Another World,” which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award and two Soap Opera Digest Awards.
She rose to fame on the silver screen in the late ’90s for her starring roles alongside Johnny Depp in “Donnie Brasco,” with Harrison Ford in “Six Days, Seven Nights,” and in Gus Van Sant’s remake of “Psycho.”
