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The cast of NBC science fiction drama series, La Brea, recently paid tribute to their beloved cast member, Jimi Castillo, in a title card at the end of season 3, episode 3, which premiered on January 23, 2024. The dedication comes months after Castillo, a spiritual leader for the Tongva, a people indigenous to the American southwest, passed away on April 21, 2023, according to his GoFundMe page.
Season 3 of La Brea, a science-fiction drama series about a group of people pulled into a void that opens up in the middle of the area around the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, premiered earlier this month.
The new season, which premiered nearly a year after the season 2 finale, honored a late cast member, Jimi Castillo, on a title card at the end of episode 3 on Tuesday. The late dedication featured at the end of the show was attributed to the series being off-air for nearly a year during the writer's strike. The dedication in the title card read:
'In Loving Memory of Jimmi Castillo."
Jimmy Castillo was represented as a spiritual leader in the series.
Jimi Castillo was a beloved member of the Native American community and cherished by the La Brea cast
While the circumstances surrounding Jimi Castillo’s death remain undisclosed, the GoFundMe page created in April 2023, in the wake of his passing, highlighted a legacy that transcended his service in the Marine Corps.
Jimi Castillo, a revered spiritual leader for the Tongva community, described as a "Pipe Carrier" and "Sun Dancer," served in the Marine Corps in the Vietnam War from 1960 to 1965, for which he received the Warriors Medals.
The native American man, who cared deeply about his community, served Native youth in California prisons and worked toward easing race tensions as a Native American Spiritual Leader for the California Youth Authority for several decades.
In 2016, Jimi and his wife, Jeanette Castillo, received President Obama’s Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award for their service to the Native American Indian Community. Jimi was also a Green Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 1996.
Jimi Castillo has also made significant contributions to the world of entertainment, as an esteemed film producer and actor, most notably as a cast member of the popular TV series, La Brea.
In the GoFundMe page created to render financial assistance to cover funeral costs in April 2023, the organizer Cheryl McKnight revealed that Jimi was asked to open the ceremony at the opening of the Academy Awards Museum with Mayor Garcetti in 2021.
The page, which had raised over $13,000, implored people to donate as insurance would not cover funeral costs without a death certificate that would not be issued for months.
“Jeanette is having a terrible time trying to get Jimi buried. The insurance won't pay anything toward the funeral until they receive a death certificate. The coroner's office won't issue a death certificate for four or five months. Please share this widely, so we can help her. It is so sad that this is the land of Jimi's ancestors, and we can't even get a plot to bury him.”
According to an Instagram post from the Center for Service Learning, Internships, & Civic Engagement at California State University, Dominguez Hills, the memorial services were held on August 6, 2023. The funeral services were held in June 2023.
