Cheyenne Jackson Shares Moving Last Message from Late Broadway Star Gavin Creel

Jackson took to Instagram to pay tribute to the beloved Tony-winning actor, who passed away at the age of 48 on Monday after a brief battle with a rare form of cancer, according to his partner, Alex Temple Ward.

Jackson was friends with Creel for more than twenty years, and even stepped in to play the actor's role in Broadway's Into the Woods during a brief leave of absence back in 2022.

In his post, Jackson revealed that he was made aware of Creels diagnosis two months ago and had been "bracing" himself for this day. He also shared one of the poignant things his friend told him shortly before he passed.

"You are so much bigger than a post. But it's all I got right now. For two months I've been bracing myself for this day. Holding my breath. Hoping for a miracle. Reading the outpouring of love from all who loved you brings me some comfort, but I'm still stuck in anger. I'll get to acceptance, I know I will…but for now I'm not there," Jackson began.

"He continued, "22 years ago we met and it was an instant spark. You made me feel seen. I felt free with you. I marveled at your ability to make everyone in any room feel comfortable. It was innate for you….never put on. You put people at ease. And then, juxtaposed with the most glorious voice I've ever heard and maybe ever will, and a talent and generosity of spirit overflowing. Your curiosity about others and the world was unparalleled and your wicked and disgusting sense of humor was perfect. I loved the way you opened your heart. I loved the way you loved my kids. I could trust you with my secrets and never worry about feeling judged for my mistakes."

Jackson went on to reflect on their friendship and what it meant to him -- and the way Creel brought him out of his shell when he otherwise had a tendency to be an introvert.

"I've never really had many close male friends. Like my father before me, I can be a bit of a lone wolf and I can isolate. But you knew that about me and never let me be alone," Jackson went on to write. "You would call until I picked up, and tell me a gross joke until I laughed. I'm not sure what I'm going to do without you in my life, but what I AM going to do is live my life. You were VERY clear about that in these last few weeks. You said to me 'Cheyenne, you have so much life to live. So so much. SO LIVE!' I promise you. I will. I will love you until the day I die compadre."

Tributes from other celebs poured in following the news of Creel's death, including from Adam Lambert, Rosie O'Donnell and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

"Heartbreaking -- what an amazingly talented, loving, fun man," O'Donnell captioned a tribute to Creel via Instagram. "All of Broadway will miss him."

Lambert remembered Creel in a comment posted under Playbill‘s Instagram tribute to the late performer.

"An immense talent and such a lovely person :(," he wrote.

Todrick Hall, meanwhile, remembered his friend as "the kindest human with the biggest gift" in a post of his own, "Love you so much my friend, you will be dearly missed."

Miranda, who worked with Creel during the early workshop phases of his musical Hamilton before it had its first professional production at Off-Broadway's Public Theater, remembered Creel with a moving tribute, writing, "Gavin Creel was our first King when all we had was 11 songs and he wrapped the audience around his finger with nothing but a Burger King crown and his mind-blowing charisma and talent."

He continued, sharing a photo alongside the late actor, "He is so loved and it is unimaginable that he’s no longer with us. My heart goes out to all the friends and family and collaborators lucky enough to be in his orbit. We love you and we'll always love you Gavin."

See more tributes to Creel below: