'We lost a good one': Hollywood actor Jeremy Piven pays tribute to his mum Joyce Piven who has died aged 94

The 59-year-old actor, took to Instagram to share the news with his 636,000 followers that his ‘incredible’ mum had died and share a tribute to her.

Alongside a carousel of images of himself and his mum, including one which appeared to show him holding her hand as she laid in a hospital bed, Piven posted a lengthy tribute to his late mum.

He wrote: “Joyce Piven has left us. I was pretending this day wouldn’t come yet here we are. If you know me you understand how much I love this woman. Yes she’s my mother but she was an incredible human being.”

He went on to say that Joyce, who wasalso an acting teacher and the co-founder of Evanston's renowned Piven Theatre Workshop, “instilled the integrity of the work and how lucky we are to get it”.

He said: “Acting teacher to so many of us who genuinely enjoyed the evolution of her students. Taught us to respects the space we occupy when we perform, instilled the integrity of the work and how lucky we are to get it. When we would run lines together (until the end) she would enter into the character and do whatever accent was needed.”

He added: “Not quite sure how to navigate without her yet this beautiful life is about transformation which was one of her theater games. . . Taught us Comedy & drama can exist simultaneously ( just like life ).

He continued to say that his mum “affected so many lives”. “She taught acting not so that you could be a professional, but so that you could learn more about yourself. “endings are import” She was graceful until her last breath,” he said.

The star concluded his caption by writing: “ Always the teacher… We don’t know how long we have here in this human form but I can tell you that we lost a good one. She’s dancing with my father. Be good to each other.”

Many actors who have worked with either Joyce or Jeremy have left messages of support and condolence on the post. Anna Friel said: “Huge huge huge love” followed by three heart emojis. Jamie Foxx simply posted three hearts. Tyler Mendelson said: “I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. Prayers for you and your family.”

Jeremy is an American actore best known for his role as Ari Gold in the comedy series Entourage, for which he won a Golden Globe Award and three consecutive Emmy Awards. He also starred in the British period drama Mr Selfridge playing the role of Harry Selfridge, the man who created the English department store Selfridges.

Jeremy comes from a creative family. His dad, Byrne Piven, who died in 2002 at the age of 72, was an actor, director. His elder sister is 63-year-old director Shira Piven. Joyce continued to direct and teach within the Piven Theatre Workshop, which she founded with her husband until 2017. At this time, she moved to Los Angeles to be with her children, bnut she continued to teach local theatre courses and privately coach actors.

No cause of death has been given for Joyce at the time of writing, and it’s not clear if she had been in hospital in the led up to her passing or if she had any health issues.