OBITUARIES

Actor & Director Richard Attenborough Has Passed Away at Age 90

by Alex Billington
August 24, 2014
Source: BBC

We've lost another. We're sad to report that the great Richard Attenborough has passed away in England today at the age of 90. While most may recognize him from Jurassic Park or Ghandi, Attenborough has an extensive and illustrious career that spans multiple decades. He won two Oscars, for Best Director and Best Picture, in 1983 for Ghandi, the biopic that introduced us to Ben Kingsley. He was made a Knight Bachelor in 1976, won BAFTA's Best British Film for his C.S. Lewis biopic Shadowlands in 1993, and was BAFTA's Best British Actor in 1965 for both Guns at Batasi and Seance on a Wet Afternoon. A true big screen legend.

A few social media reactions (plus a great photo found on Twitter) regarding Lord Attenborough's passing:

RIP Richard Attenborough. Very sad. I hope in the future we can use a strand of his DNA to clone him & have a whole park of wonderful actors

— Tiernan Douieb (@TiernanDouieb) August 24, 2014

Brighton Rock, League Of Gentleman, Great Escape, 10 Rillington Place, Magic, Jurassic Park & so, so much more. R.I.P. Lord Attenborough.

— edgarwright (@edgarwright) August 24, 2014

His acting in "Brighton Rock" was brilliant, his directing of "Gandhi" was stunning - Richard Attenborough was one of the greats of cinema.

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) August 24, 2014

pic.twitter.com/tCXnCQK0x4

— Gareth Evans (@ghuwevans) August 25, 2014

Attenborough during a break in filming his C.S. Lewis biopic, Shadowlands, 1993 via @refocusedmedia

Update! Here's a statement from Steven Spielberg about the great Lord Attenborough (via Deadline):

"Dickie Attenborough was passionate about everything in his life. Family, friends, his country and career. He made a gift to the world with his emotional epic Gandhi and he was the perfect ringmaster to bring the dinosaurs back to life as John Hammond in Jurassic Park. He was a dear friend and I am standing in an endless line of those who completely adored him."

Born in Cambridge, Richard Attenborough started acting at the age of 12, making his professional stage debut at 18. The rest is history, as his career in film spans Brighton Rock, The League of Gentlemen, The Great Escape, A Bridge Too Far, Chaplin, Jurassic Park, Miracle on 34th Street and Elizabeth. In 2008 his health started to deteriorate and he suffered a stroke, causing him to fall and confining him to a wheelchair for his remaining years. He had been in a nursing home with his wife for a number of years recently, and passed away with his family at his side on Sunday. It's always sad to hear about the passing of someone who has left such a remarkable legacy, but especially tough when it's an individual loved by the entire industry.

As always, at the least we have his impressive filmography that he leaves behind, allowing all generations the never-ending chance to explore his cinematic work over many years. Rest in Peace, Lord Attenborough.

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