Hours after the death of 'The Normal Heart' playwright was announced, the 'Hollywood' creator describes him as 'perhaps the single greatest and most important gay activist of all time.'

• May 28, 2020

AceShowbiz - Ryan Murphy has shared a moving tribute to "The Normal Heart" playwright Larry Kramer, calling him "perhaps the single greatest and most important gay activist of all time."

The writer/director, whose hit Netflix series "Hollywood" reimagines Tinseltown's Golden Age as one where gay people are able to openly express their homosexuality, famously brought the writer's most famous work, "The Normal Heart", to U.S. network HBO in 2014, and in a lengthy post on Instagram on Wednesday (May 27) - hours after Kramer's death was announced - Murphy raved about his "wonderful first meeting" with the writer.

He recalled meeting Kramer to ask for the television rights for "The Normal Heart" - and was shocked by his request for $1 million (£813,000).

"I said, 'that's a lot of money for a low budget film!' He paused and said 'it's what I'm worth,'" Murphy wrote, revealing he paid up. "I'm so glad I did. Larry knew the value of his work, his life, all gay people's lives - and his fundamental stubborn belief in equality for all made him perhaps the single greatest and most important gay activist of all time. His fight against government, discrimination, prejudice and big Pharma (pharmaceutical industry) helped save millions of lives."

"His fight changed the health care system as we know it," the "Glee" creator continued. "I admired him above all others. He deserved the Medal of Freedom. I loved working with him, his passion. I eventually even came to love our fights."

Murphy shared that Kramer "cried" when he first watched the TV version of "The Normal Heart", which featured Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo and Jim Parsons, revealing the playwright said, "All my friends, all my generation, gone... and it's f**king unfair it didn't need to happen."

Ryan concluded his emotional comments by noting that the friends were "still plotting" to the end, and hoped to work together again on new Broadway versions of "The Normal Heart" and its spin-off play "The Destiny of Me".

Other stars posting tributes on Wednesday included Elton John, Ruffalo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mia Farrow, Rob Reiner, Olivia Wilde, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chely Wright and transgender "Pose" writer/director Janet Mock.