Oscar-Winning Director Richard Attenborough Dead at 90 - East Idaho News
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Oscar-Winning Director Richard Attenborough Dead at 90

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GETTY 082514 richardattenborough?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1408966713016MJ Kim/Getty Images(LONDON) — Oscar-winning British actor and director Richard Attenborough died Sunday, his son tells the BBC. He was 90 years old.

Attenborough appeared in films including Brighton Rock, The Great Escape and Jurassic Park. As a director, he was perhaps best known for 1983’s Gandhi, which won eight Oscars, including best picture, best director for Attenborough and best actor for Ben Kingsley.

Kingsley, who played the title role in Gandhi, said he would miss Attenborough “dearly,” according to the BBC. He added, “When he gave me the part of Gandhi it was with great grace and joy. He placed in me an absolute trust and in turn I placed an absolute trust in him and grew to love him.”

Steven Spielberg, who directed Jurassic Park, said in a statement, “Dickie Attenborough was passionate about everything in his life — family, friends, 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.”  

BAFTA also issued a statement on Attenborough’s passing via Twitter: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of esteemed filmmaker and former BAFTA President Lord Attenborough.”

According to the BBC, Attenborough had been in a nursing home with his wife for a number of years. He had also been in a wheelchair since falling down stairs six years ago.


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