John Nash Death: Russell Crowe, Princeton University And Others React To Mathematician's Death

Mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr., the man who inspired the Academy Award-winning film “A Beautiful Mind,” died in an automobile accident Saturday. The 86-year-old Nash and his wife, Alicia, were in a cab on the New Jersey Turnpike when the crash occurred. They were thrown from the taxi, and neither was wearing a seat belt, Mashable reported.

Twitter users flooded the microblogging site with memorial messages Sunday morning, when news of Nash’s death broke. Among the first to pay tribute to Nash was actor Russell Crowe, who played the schizophrenic Nobel Prize winner in 2001’s “A Beautiful Mind.”

Jennifer Connelly, who played Alicia in the movie, expressed her condolences in a statement to Just Jared. “This is a great loss,” she said. “John and Alicia Nash were an inspiration, and I have deep admiration for all that they accomplished in their lives. My thoughts are with their family.”

The film’s director, Ron Howard, and producer, Brian Grazer, also posted messages remembering Nash.

Hollywood wasn’t the only place where Nash was famous. The Princeton University senior research mathematician was legendary for his work on game theory: Economist Roger Myerson told the New York Times Nash’s breakthrough there was comparable “to that of the discovery of the DNA double helix in the biological sciences.”

Nash won the 1994 Nobel Prize in economic sciences with Reinhard Selten and John Haranyi. He was awarded the Abel Prize in Norway just this week.

“We are stunned and saddened by news of the untimely passing of John Nash and his wife and great champion, Alicia,” Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber said in a statement to ABC News. “John’s remarkable achievements inspired generations of mathematicians, economists and scientists who were influenced by his brilliant, groundbreaking work in game theory, and the story of his life with Alicia moved millions of readers and moviegoers who marveled at their courage in the face of daunting challenges.”

Below is a sampling of reactions by politicians, writers and others: