Gerard Butler has posted to Instagram for the first time in almost a year to pay his respects to Darius Campbell Danesh.
The actor was captured in what appears to be the final photo of his Pop Idol pal before his tragic death at the age of 41. And now, Gerard has paid a heartfelt tribute to the man he called a "dear friend".
Breaking his silence on the social media platform, the Hollywood A-lister shared a snap of the pair smiling. He started his lengthy post: " I am devastated by the sudden passing of my dear friend Darius, a true brother in arms. My thoughts and love go to his wonderful mum and dad Avril and Booth and his two brilliant brothers Aria and Cyrus."
Gerard continued to praise the singer with his heartfelt words and said that anyone who knew him was "moved by his infectious laugh and barely containable zest for life".
The Greenland actor added: "He was always armed with a smile, a booming voice, and a genuinely warm embrace that few could resist-nor would they want to!!! He was an incredible talent, a singer whose voice touched your soul and an actor with great presence. But, most importantly, he had the heart of a lion. It was bigger and brighter than the sun and an energy so contagious he could light up a room in seconds."
He went on to touch upon the singer-turned-actor's dream to inspire others, saying he had "such purity of thought" before praising him for his compassion towards all. He also labelled him the "perfect friend" as he led by example and helped to push others to greatness.
And Gerard added how he truly believes Darius's death will lead to "more waves" being created by the star further down the line.
The emotional post concluded by the Scottish actor saying: "My heart aches heavily. But going forward, I will beat my drum louder and celebrate life and its every beautiful moment because my brother showed me that was a pretty awesome way to go about it."
The powerful words are the latest in a long line of tributes from Darius's friends, family and former work colleagues after he was found unresponsive in an apartment Minnesota on August 11.
Simon Cowell also shared a sentimental statement shortly after the news broke. The pair worked together on Pop Idol and the music mogul said: "I first saw Darius on television over 20 years ago and I got to know him really well.
"He was charismatic, funny and just a great person to be with. His passing, for someone so young, is an absolute tragedy and my heart goes out to his family and friends."
While Darius's death isn't being treated as suspicious, it's thought the official cause of death could take up to two months to be confirmed.
