Russell Crowe Says Sinéad O'Connor 'Was a Hero of Mine' in Moving Tribute

Russell Crowe is remembering Sinéad O’Connor after her death at age 56. 

On Wednesday, the Gladiator actor, 59, posted a moving tribute to the late singer, sharing that she was a "hero" of his. 

“Last year, working in Ireland, having a pint in the cold outside a Dalkey pub with some new friends, a woman with purpose strode past us. Puffy parker zipped to the nape and her bowed head covered in a scarf,” Crowe wrote about O’Connor, whose death was confirmed by her family in a statement on Wednesday.

“One of my new friends muttered an exclamation, jumped up and pursued the woman," he continued. "Thirty metres down the road the friend and the woman embraced and he waived me over. There under streetlights with mist on my breath, I met Sinéad. She looked in my eyes, and uttered with disarming softness “oh, it’s you Russell.” ” 

Crowe then detailed how O’Connor joined his table and “ordered a hot tea” before the group had a wide-ranging discussion that included Dublin weather, movies, music, politics, “the ongoing fight for indigenous recognition in many places, but particularly in Australia,” and O’Connor’s writer brother.

“I had the opportunity to tell her she was a hero of mine,” the actor added.

The heartfelt tribute ended with Crowe recalling the late singer’s departure from the table and the reaction of himself and his friends. 

“When her second cup was taking on the night air, she rose, embraced us all and strode away into the fog-dimmed streetlights. We sat there the four of us and variously expressed the same thing. What an amazing woman. Peace be with your courageous heart Sinéad.”

Crowe’s tweet came as multiple celebrities, friends and fans honored the late singer, whose death is not being treated as suspicious, Scotland Yard confirmed to PEOPLE Thursday. 

“Gutting,” Florence Pugh wrote in an Instagram Story post on Wednesday. “A great one has left us. I only hope she’s gone in peace and love and is with her own loved ones. Thank you for everything you gave us,” the actress continued. Her tribute was written over a black and white image of O’Connor shared from the British Vogue Instagram account.

Pugh, 27, also left an emotional comment on a lengthy Instagram post from Irish comedy actress Aisling Bea honoring the late singer. “I’m gutted. Absolutely gutted," she wrote. "The originally f--- it energy we all aspire to have. Feel very sad today. Great videos of her performing! Amazing you got to meet her! Love x.”

In her own tribute, Bea, 39, wrote emotionally about her sadness at O’Connor’s death and recalled a time the two had worked together.

“How desperately sad the loss of Sinéad O’Connor is. For music and Ireland,” Bea wrote, before describing how O’Connor was a “hero” of hers and describing a 2019 episode of Ireland's Late Late Show the pair both appeared on.

“She was an absolute hero of mine and one of the few people I’ve ever been star struck by. I think she could tell because I became a chatty mess. She was dry and funny and kind and sharp and incredibly gentle,” Bea said.

Detailing how O’Connor had been “villified” and “humilated” during her career, the actress added that “everything [O'Connor] stood up for and against then, including racism in the music industry, has been proven to have been needed and right.”

“She was the original truth sayer who wouldn’t go easy into the night. The original “difficult” woman who didn’t make it easy. Because easy wasn’t the right thing to do and it wasn’t the truth. Gone too soon. Nothing compares to you,” Bea’s post concluded. 

The three actors' posts come as artists across the world of entertainment have taken to social media to remember O'Connor's work in music and beyond.

Singer Bryan Adams paid tribute to O'Connor by remembering their time working together. Alongside a picture of the singer, he wrote on Twitter, "RIP Sinéad O'Connor, I loved working with you making photos, doing gigs in Ireland together and chats, all my love to your family."

Actress Mayim Bialik shared a collection of black-and-white images of O'Connor and remembered her as someone who "made a tremendous impression" during her teenage years.

"Remembering the Iconic Sinead O’Connor Her music changed the industry and her fierce fearlessness made a tremendous impression on my teenage years," the Jeopardy! host, 47, wrote on Twitter. "She was ahead of her time in so many ways and gone far too soon. Rest in power, Sinead O’Connor."