The aboriginal actor, born David Bernard Starr, was found in a park in Fremantle, western Australia, on Sunday (17Jul11), before being pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Police are now waiting for toxicology reports in a bid to determine the cause of death, but representatives insist they are not treating it as suspicious.
Jackman has rushed to pay tribute to his pal, who he worked with on Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 epic, writing in a post on Twitter.com, “So saddened to hear about the passing of David Ngoombujarra Starr. An extraordinary man, actor and friend. His laugh, warmth and humanity will live on with all who knew him.”
Ngoombujarra was one of Australia’s most famous indigenous actors, winning a number of Australian Film Institute (AFI) awards throughout his career and appearing in movies such as Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles with Paul Hogan, Ned Kelly opposite Heath Ledger and 2003’s Kangaroo Jack with Jerry O’Connell and Christopher Walken.
