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Eric Roberts, the star of one of Chris Cornell 's most famous music videos, has paid tribute to the singer who is believed to have taken his own life on Wednesday (17 May).
The Dark Knight and Expendables actor, who appeared in the video of Cornell's 2015 song 'Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart,' expressed to Variety how they had bonded over “respect, admiration and pure love for our kids.”
Roberts said: “Chris was a longtime sober guy, and had boundless sensitivity to the depression and self-abuse that can occur among artists at every level, having their day in the sun, hoping for their day and re-discovering their day. The only message we ever knew him to send was one of hope and the unselfishness of self-respect.”
Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017)Show all 18 1 /18Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Singer Chris Cornell performs at Prophets of Rage and Friends' Anti Inaugural Ball at the Taragram Ballroom on January 20, 2017 in Los Angeles, California
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Chris Cornell of Audioslave at the 2002 KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, CA. Saturday, December 7, 2002
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) The members of Audioslave pose backstage with VH1 Music & Talent Executive Vice President Rick Krim at the 'ReAct Now: Music & Relief' benefit concert at Paramount Studios on September 10, 2005 in Hollywood, California
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Musician Chris Cornell of Audioslave and his daughter Toni sign a guitar donated by the band at the 'ReAct Now: Music & Relief' benefit concert at Paramount Studios on September 10, 2005 in Hollywood, California
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Musician Chris Cornell of the band Audioslave performs onstage at the VH1 Big In '05 Awards held at Stage 15 on the Sony lot on December 3, 2005 in Culver City, California
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Musician Chris Cornell and his daughter attend the John Varvatos 4th Annual Stuart House Benefit at the John Varvatos Boutique on March 19, 2006 in West Hollywood, California
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Singer Chris Cornell performs at Vegas Grand Prix-Friday Night Street Party on April 6, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Musician Chris Cornell and family attend the Conde Nast Media Group's Fifth Annual Fashion Rocks at Radio City Music Hall on September 5, 2008 in New York City
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Musician Chris Cornell performs on stage during Conde Nast's Fashion Rocks show in New York. Sept. 5, 2008
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Chris Cornell of Soundgarden performs onstage and headlines the 2010 Lollapalooza festival in Grant Park on August 8, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois
Photo by Roger Kisby/Getty Images
Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Chris Cornell of Soundgarden performs onstage and headlines the 2010 Lollapalooza festival in Grant Park on August 8, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Musician/actor Chris Cornell of 'Machine Gun Preacher' poses for a portrait during 2011 Toronto Film Festival on September 9, 2011 in Toronto, Canada.
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Chris Cornell of Soundgarden performs on stage at Big Day Out 2012 at the Sydney Showground on January 26, 2012 in Sydney, Australia.
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Soundgarden performs at Citi Presents Exclusive Soundgarden Performance Celebrating 20th Anniversary of 'Superunknown' at Webster Hall on June 2, 2014 in New York City
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Kim Thayil, Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden visit SiriusXM Studios on June 2, 2014 in New York City
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell perform during the 28th annual Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 26, 2014 in Mountain View, California
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Musician Chris Cornell poses at Elton John's 70th Birthday and 50-Year Songwriting Partnership with Bernie Taupin benefiting the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the UCLA Hammer Museum at RED Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. March 25, 2017
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Remembering Chris Cornell (1964 - 2017) Chris Cornell and family attend the New York Screening of 'The Promise' at The Paris Theatre on April 18, 2017 in New York City
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Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Cornell was found dead aged 52 on a hotel bathroom floor in Detroit, Michigan.
Reflecting upon their time shooting the video, Roberts continued: “What we were most struck by during our boiling hot days on set shooting the video was that Chris was the warmest, most mama-bear-like dad we had every known,” he said. “He glowed way more talking about his kids that day than he did from the heat. His youngest, his son, was in the video and was a natural. He had his dad’s presence.”
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