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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Susan Knox

Coolio was 'the reason Dangerous Minds saw so much success' says Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer has insisted that the reason Dangerous Minds saw so much success was all down to late rapper Coolio.

The Hollywood actress, 64, has paid a gushing tribute to her former co-star and friend Coolio who was tragically found dead on the bathroom floor of his friend's house on Wednesday.

The musician who was best known for Gangsta's Paradise - the iconic soundtrack to 1995 film Dangerous Minds - died from a suspected cardiac arrest, his manager revealed, after a pal found him laying unresponsive on their bathroom floor.

Following the shock news of Coolio's sudden death, stars from across the globe began to join his legion of fans to pay their respects to him.

Leading the way was Michelle Pfeiffer, who played the lead role in Dangerous Minds - about a former Marine who becomes a high school teacher in a tough inner-city school.

Leading tributes to Coolio was Michelle Pfeiffer, who played the lead role in Dangerous Minds (Michelle Pfeiffer/Instagram)

She shared a clip of the huge hit tune and said she was "heartbroken" at the news.

Michelle wrote: "Heartbroken to hear of the passing of the gifted artist @coolio. A life cut entirely too short. As some of you may know I was lucky enough to work with him on Dangerous Minds in 1995. He won a Grammy for his brilliant song on the soundtrack - which I think was the reason our film saw so much success."

She continued: "I remember him being nothing but gracious. 30 years later I still get chills when I hear the song. Sending love and light to his family. Rest in Power, Artis Leon Ivey Jr."

Michelle grew close to Coolio on set back in 1995 when the pair worked together on Dangerous Minds (Youtube)

Michelle grew close to Coolio on set back in 1995 when the pair worked together on Dangerous Minds.

The film, directed by John N. Smith was based on the autobiography My Posse Don't Do Homework by retired U.S. Marine

LouAnne Johnson, who in 1989 took up a teaching position at Carlmont High School in Belmont, California, where most of her students were African-American and Latino teenagers from East Palo Alto, a racially segregated and economically deprived city. - and in the movie, Michelle Pfeiffer stars as Johnson.

The film grossed $179.5 million and was a box office hit when it hit cinemas.

Michelle's gushing words about Coolio come as no official cause of death has yet been announced.

Coolio - whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr - first burst onto the music stage in LA in the late 1980s, but it was his '90s hit Gangsta's Paradise which made him an international star.

The iconic tune, which was recorded to be the soundtrack for Michelle Pfeiffer's hit film Dangerous Minds, went on to become his signature song.

It hit number one in the US, UK, France, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

The single itself sold over six million copies across the globe and was part of his four-time Platinum-selling album of the same name.

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