Following the news of the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, on Sept. 18, actress Felicity Jones spoke out about the legacy of the woman she portrayed onscreen.
Jones played a young RBG in the 2018 biopic On the Basis of Sex. The film focused on a 1970 tax case, which Ginsburg used as a stepping stone to fight all gender-based laws.
Of the Supreme Court Justice's passing, Jones tells E! News: "Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave us hope, a public figure who stood for integrity and justice- a responsibility she did not wear lightly. She will be missed not only as a beacon of light in these difficult times but for her razor sharp wit and extraordinary humanity. She taught us all so much. I will miss her deeply."
Ginsburg, a Brooklyn native who sat on the Supreme Court for over 25 years, was a celebrated advocate for women's rights and a pop culture icon.
A 2018 documentary, titled RBG, was nominated for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards. Betsy West and Julie Cohen, directors of the documentary, tell E! News:
"Like so many Americans, we are crushed by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Even had she not become a Supreme Court Justice, Ginsburg earned a place in history for what she did to win equally for American women. When we asked her several years ago how she wanted she wanted to be remembered, she said with characteristic modesty, 'Just as someone who did whatever she could, with whatever limited talent she had, to move society along in the direction I would like it to be for my children and grandchildren.'"
Ginsburg previously applauded Jones' portrayal in On the Basis of Sex. "Felicity Jones speaks the Queen's English," Ginsburg told Vanity Fair in October 2018. "Yet in the film, she managed to sound very much like me, a girl born and bred in Brooklyn, NYC."
Director Mimi Leder shared her heartache over the 87-year-old's death.
"RBG I will never forget you. Thank you for profoundly changing the world with your fiercely brilliant powerful mind, heart and soul," Leder wrote on Instagram. "Your courage and bravery paved the way for us all. We will continue the fight in your name. Warrior!!! Rest in Peace and Power my dear friend Madam Justice."
Stars like Elizabeth Banks, Mariah Carey, and Brie Larson expressed their condolences over the justice's death on social media. Many noted that the death of Ginsburg—who stood for the expansion of reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights—made the upcoming election all the more vital.
"Thank you for a lifetime of service. Thank you for changing history," Carey shared. "We will never let it be undone. RIP RBG."
Larson wrote, "We'll keep pushing our way into all the places we've yet to be invited."
Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, stated on the day of RBG's death that he would conduct a vote for President Trump's chosen replacement, despite previously blocking President Obama from replacing Antonin Scalia in 2016.