Richard Attenborough dies

Oscar-winning actor/director was 90.

by Jennie Kermode

Richard Attenborough in unforgettable form as Pinkie in Brighton Rock.
Richard Attenborough in unforgettable form as Pinkie in Brighton Rock.

The actor, director and producer Richard Attenborough died today at that age of 90, after a 60 year career including such classics as Brighton Rock, The Great Escape, 10 Rillington Place and Jurassic Park. His final work was Closing The Ring, which he directed and produced in 2007.

Attenborough won two Oscars and a Golden Globe for directing and producing Gandhi in 1982. Known to his friends (which included most people in the British Film Industry) simply as 'Dickie', he also worked extensively for good causes, especially UNICEF. He was widely praised for his wok in 1993 was made a baron, but he was most proud of a tribute made by Pinewood Studios, which named a stage after him.

"His acting in Brighton Rock was brilliant, his directing of Gandhi was stunning," said Prime Minister David Cameron in a tribute to the star.

It is understood that Attenborough had been ill for some time. He had suffered heart problems and had recetly moved int a nursing home so that he could receive round the clock care. He is survived by his wife Sheila Sim, and two children.

Share this with others on...
News

Love, not reason Pawel Pawlikowski, Sandra Hüller, August Diehl and Hanns Zischler discuss Fatherland

The monstrosity of the form Katie Aselton and Mark Duplass on relatable storytelling and Magic Hour

Going off-plan Ben Wheatley on early inspirations, developing his craft and making Normal

The accidental revolutionary Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guigue discuss artistic evolution and Blaise

Embracing complexity Nigel Santos on the messiness of real life romance, and Open Endings

Alone together Park Joon-ho on loneliness, North Korean experience, gay life and 3670

More news and features

We're bringing you news, reviews and more from Cannes and Queer East.



We've recently brought you coverage of the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, Visions du Réel, Fantaspoa, Overlook, BFI Flare and SXSW, the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, the NY Rendezvous with French Cinema, the Glasgow Film Festival, the Berlinale, Sundance and Palm Springs.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


Cannes Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma team takes to the stage


Cannes Paul Laverty, Demi Moore, Park Chan-Wook and others speak out


Cannes Honorary Palme d'Or for Peter Jackson


Cannes Festival to host 25th anniversary screening of The Fast And The Furious, as Classics also announced


Fantasia First wave of titles announced