Ron Simons, the actor-turned-producer whose repertoire included Tony Award-winning Broadway shows as well as Sundance Film Festival selections, has died. He was 63 years old.
Simons' New York-based production company, SimonSays Entertainment, announced the death of its CEO on Wednesday in a statement posted Thursday on social media. “It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of our beloved, blessed and greatly favored friend, Ronald Keith Simons,” the statement said.
The letter said a funeral is being planned, but did not reveal additional details about Simons' death, including the cause of death or survivors. A representative for SimonSays did not immediately respond Friday to The Times' request for more information.
“A huge tree has fallen on the black Broadway community,” Tony-nominated producer Lamar Richardson tweeted. “Ron walked so that many of us could run in this industry.”
“The Mamalogues” and “Single Black Female” playwright Lisa B. Thompson also mourned Simons on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “we have lost one of our brightest lights.” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan also paid tribute to “legendary Detroiter” Simons, whom he honored with a key to the city in 2022.
Born in Detroit on November 30, 1960, Simons began pursuing a career in entertainment in his early 30s, after more than a decade working for technology companies HP and Microsoft. “At the tender age of 39,” as Simons told Forbes in 2017, he enrolled in theater school at the University of Washington and eventually embarked on a path into producing that would net him five Tony Award nominations and four victories.
“I started to feel like I wasn't excited about the kind of roles I was auditioning for or the projects that were getting the green light,” he said during a TED talk in 2018. “I realized I could have a bigger impact on the world.” if not simply act but produce and create work.”
In 2012, Simons co-produced a revival of “Porgy and Bess” starring Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis that earned him his first Tony. In the years that followed, Simons produced Tony-winning productions of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” in 2013, “A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder” in 2014 and a revival of August Wilson's “Jitney” in 2017.
Simons expanded his production skills from stage to screen with SimonSays, which prides itself on highlighting stories from underrepresented communities. SimonSays produced the 2011 Sundance Film Festival selection “Gun Hill Road,” which centers on a recently released parolee struggling with his son's transgender life. Simons also produced “Viva Verdi!”, a documentary that follows aging musicians as they continue to perform and mentor emerging talent.
“We seek to tell stories that allow audiences to connect, communicate and take action,” he said in his 2018 TED talk.
His producing credits include the films “Night Catches Us,” “Blue Caprice” and “Mother of George,” and he stars in “Hughie,” “The Gin Game” and the all-black Broadway production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” among others. . Forest Whitaker, Danai Gurira, Leslie Uggams and Cecily Tyson were among the black actors who starred in Simons' productions, according to her website.
Simons earned a bachelor's degree from Columbia College, an MBA from Columbia Business School, and an MFA from the University of Washington.
Her career also included appearances in regional theaters, including Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and minor roles in film and television projects, including “27 Dresses,” “Law & Order,” “The Resident” and “Succession.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
