Tributes to Peter Bogdanovich

New Hollywood filmmaker and actor dies at 82

by Amber Wilkinson

The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon director Peter Bogdanovich has died at the age of 82. His daughter Antonia told The Hollywood Reporter he died of natural causes.

Bogdanovich - who also took on acting roles throughout his career - was Oscar-nominated twice for small-town Texas coming-of-age tale The Last Picture Show, for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Born in New York, he first studied acting before moving to LA in a bid to become a director and, after forging a career in criticism, became a gamekeeper turned poacher, becoming one of the leading lights of New Hollywood in the Seventies.

He notched up more than 30 directing credits across his career, including What's Up Doc?, The Cat's Meow and, more recently, She's Funny That Way, starring Imogen Poots and Owen Wilson.

His acting roles included the recurring roles of Dr Elliot Kupferberg in The Sopranos and  iustino Morangiello in Get Shorty.

Paying tribute on Twitter, director Guillermo Del Toro wrote: "He was a dear friend and a champion of Cinema. He birthed masterpieces as a director and was a most genial human. He single-handedly interviewed and enshrined the lives and work of more classic filmmakers than almost anyone else in his generation. "He became a close friend and was active and brilliant to the end. He was working on a beautiful screenplay and to talk about the craft and ideas for it was delightful."

The Godfather director and fellow New Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola told Deadline he was "devastated".

Tatum O'Neal, who became the youngest Oscar winner at age 10 for her role in Paper Moon, paid tribute to the director on Instagram, writing: "Peter was my heaven and earth. A father figure. A friend. From Paper Moon to Nickelodeon he always made me feel safe. I love you, Peter."

Twice married and divorced, Bogdanovich is survived by his two daughters Sashy and Antonia.

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