Actor Christian Oliver Killed in Plane Crash With Daughters

Small plane went down in the Caribbean; his daughters were ages 10 and 12
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 5, 2024 2:10 PM CST
Actor Christian Oliver Killed in Plane Crash With Daughters
Christian Oliver arrives at the premiere of "Speed Racer" during the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in this file photo.   (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File)

US actor Christian Oliver and his two young daughters were killed in a plane crash near a tiny private island in the eastern Caribbean, according to police in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The crash occurred Thursday just west of Petit Nevis island near Bequia as the plane headed for nearby St. Lucia, per the AP. The three passengers aboard the aircraft were identified as Christian Klepser, 51—Oliver's real name—and his daughters Madita, 10, and Annik, 12. Pilot Robert Sachs also was killed. Oliver had dozens of film and television roles, including in the 2008 film Speed Racer film and The Good German, a 2006 World War II film by Stephen Soderbergh that starred George Clooney and Cate Blanchett.

He also appeared in features including The Baby-Sitters Club, Valkyrie, and in the 1990s series Saved by the Bell. "Moments after taking off, the aircraft experienced difficulties and plummeted into the ocean," said local authorities, per People. "Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the incident in their boats to render assistance." Actress Bai Ling was among those paying tribute. "I just could not believe it," she wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of herself with Oliver. She said they had worked together just days before Christmas.

(More obituary stories.)

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