Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Honors His Late Movie Stand In, Jay Veltri

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is mourning the loss of Jay Veltri, his movie stand in who died in 2012.

The 44-year-old Baywatch star took to Instagram to grieve.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BFUnH3Woh2J/

He captioned the above photo:

“#TBT 2011. With one of the most optimistic and loving guys I ever knew – Jay Veltri RIP. He worked hard as my ‘stand in’ on my movies for years. A ‘stand in’ steps in for the actor while the shot is set up – camera angles, lighting, props, etc. Once the shot is lined up properly, I’ll step in and shoot the scene.

“We did a lot together over the years… worked out, drank, laughed, cried, had fun telling dumb jokes and yet [through] it all, regardless of the challenges he would face, he would always ALWAYS have a smile on his face and he’d text me, ‘Like you big bro, I’m being strong.’ In this pic we took from set in Hawaii, I told him, ‘Hey bro there’s paparazzi up on the hill. Flex and let’s have some fun for them.’ Look at his smile.

“Jay passed away from cancer within a year of taking this pic. He was 34.

“Just came across this image on my phone and thought I’d share it with y’all. Constant reminder to be as grateful as we possibly can for everyday we wake up and get another crack and this crazy thing called life. Work hard, laugh hard, take care of your family and smile big… ‘cause we just never know what’s around the corner.”