KUALA LUMPUR: Gol & Gincu star Nur Fazura Sharifuddin has had many leading men on the big screen, but none of them will be as special as the late Ashraf Sinclair.
Ashraf, who died at 40 in Jakarta, Indonesia yesterday, played futsal enthusiast Eddy, the love interest and strongest supporter of Fazura's character Putri in Gol & Gincu which was screened in 2005.
They became fast friends on the set of the romantic comedy directed by Bernard Chauly, and Fazura kept in regular contact with Ashraf via social media over the years.
Describing Ashraf as a "big brother and dear friend", Fazura, 37, said that Ashraf always encouraged her to reach for the stars and be passionate about her acting career.
In an Instagram post which showed a brief scene of Eddy in Gol & Gincu yesterday, Fazura paid a heartfelt tribute to Ashraf, moving many Netizens to tears.
She said: “The minute I got the news from Indonesia this morning, I immediately thought it was a hoax. But when it was confirmed by Doddy (Bunga’s manager), I sat down in disbelief with tears and all the memories of Ash (Ashraf) came flashing before my eyes.
“Ash, it took me the entire day to digest the fact that you’re gone. It still doesn’t seem real but I want to put my feelings out there because you mean so much to me.
“We grew up together in the early days of our careers. Those many years and late nights of filming Gol & Gincu brought us close like a family.
“You were not only a co-star, the guy that changed Putri’s life from a cheerleader into a striker, but most importantly a dear friend and brother who always wanted to protect me and cheering for me to succeed in life and be happy.
“We even became business partners for a while, and then you met the love of your life and decided to get married.
“I’ll never forget the light in your eyes when you spoke to Bunga, how you were so in love and excited to propose to her.
“Ash, you are truly a person with a pure heart of gold who only has empathy for others with immense positivity that could light up a whole room.
“I'll always remember you as someone who loved to laugh, loved his family, friends and work, helped others and made people happy.
“I will always miss you and our wonderful conversations dearly. I am forever grateful for our friendship and the fact that you managed to get married.
“My heart bleeds for Bunga, Noah, your parents, siblings, Yuna, and the entire family.
“My pain is only a fraction of what each of them is going through, especially Bunga.
“The memories of you two loving each other just makes me cry.
“I take comfort knowing that God loves our Ashraf more than we all do and that he is at peace.
“To Bunga sayang, I wish to give you space at this most trying time of your life surrounded by your beloved family, away from your phone.
“May God always bless you with His strength, and that you and Noah will always be watched over."
Fazura's post had more than 100,000 likes, and her fellow actress Carmen Soo described it as "so beautiful and heartbreaking".
"I've always loved both of you since Gol & Gincu. RIP Ashraf a.k.a. Eddy," said Shazleen.
"Devastated. I've always had a huge crush on Ashraf since Gol & Gincu. My prayers go to his bereaved family especially his wife and son," said Rahayu.
Gol & Gincu was the only film in which Fazura co-starred with Ashraf.
It was her fourth film after Bicara Hati (2004), Qaisy & Laila (2004) and Senario XX (2005).
Fazura and Ashraf also starred in Gol & Gincu The Series on 8TV from 2006 to 2007, reprising their roles as Putri and Eddy respectively.