The star of “Last of us”, emotional tribute to his Romanian father-in-law: “He was legendary. He was my father in many ways”
American actor Gabriel Luna published an emotional message on Monday after the death of his Romanian father-in-law, Dan Ciceu, who passed away on May 28.
Gabriel Luna, known for his roles in the series “The Last of Us” and the film “Terminator: Dark Fate”, has been married since 2011 to the Romanian actress Smaranda Luna.
He spoke of the special relationship he had with his wife's father in a wide-ranging Instagram post, describing him as “a mountain of a man” with “a kind and adventurous heart”.
“I was lucky enough to enter his family and feel his love from the moment I met him, 17 years ago. My father died before I was born, and Dan filled that void in many ways,” wrote Gabriel Luna in the message accompanied by several pictures of the two.
The actor recalled the evenings spent together, over a glass of wine, discussing rock and roll music, but also the experiences they had over the years.
“We saw Bob Dylan and Deep Purple concerts together. We floated together in the Black Sea. He came to parties with me and my friends, and at the end he was surrounded by people who listened to his stories, because he was the most interesting person there,” said the actor.
The unique situation from the wedding
Luna also talked about the satisfaction he felt when he invited his father-in-law to accompany him on filming and promotional tours in Europe.
“It made me so proud to show him what Smaranda and I had accomplished,” he confessed.
Luna also recalled an unusual situation at his wedding, when he heard the powerful voice of his father-in-law, who translated the words of the priest during the religious ceremony and sang songs by Buddy Holly, one of the first rock and roll musicians, with him at the party.
Gabriel Luna described Dan Ciceu as a passionate mechanical engineer, a creative and cultured man, interested in history and anthropology, who studied both in the United States and in Egypt.
His father-in-law was also a performance athlete, performing in the Romanian national volleyball team, the actor said.
Also, Gabriel Luna recalled Dan Ciceu's involvement in the events of the December 1989 Revolution, saying that he was among the demonstrators in University Square.
“To say he was cool would be a tragic understatement. He was legendary,” Luna wrote.
He ended his message with a thought for his father-in-law: “I love you dad. Keep up the great work. We'll see each other down the road someday.”
