Netflix(LOS ANGELES) — Tory Belleci and Kari Bryon are honoring their late colleague and friend Grant Imahara. 

Imahara died unexpectedly on July 13 at the age of 49 and, in wake of his passing, Belleci and Bryon, who worked alongside Imahara on Mythbusters and Netflix’s White Rabbit Project, remembered their former colleague and shared touching tributes with Variety on Tuesday. 

Bellici’s tribute began with a memory of how the two first met back in 1997 when he “stepped through the doors of the ILM model shop.” He recalled being nervous but stated that he was put at ease the moment he encountered Imahara. 

“That was Grant, always welcoming, always helpful and always ready to solve a problem,” he wrote.

Belleci continued to praise Imahara for his “brilliant mind,” his generosity, and his passion for creating before leaving fans with a line that was sure to resonate.

He shared, “A wise Vulcan once said, “Change is the essential process of all existence.” This is the hardest change to accept.”

Meanwhile, Bryon admitted to both “crying and smiling” as she typed out her piece before sharing some of her heartwarming memories with Imahara.

She wrote, “If you drank too much you became the life of the party, doing your signature Pee-wee Herman dance on the bar, but still somehow got home early. You loved my dogs so much you let them lick you in the mouth, which was gross and incredibly sweet.” 

After stating that herself, Belleci, and Imahara were “beyond friends” she closed, “I am mad that you are gone. We weren’t done yet.”

“You should have at least dared me to eat a bug one more time,” Bryon added. “I’d eat all the bugs in the world to have you back.”

By Danielle Long
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