Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
More On:
celebrity deaths
-
Shelley Duvall's Partner Weighs In On Her Absence From Emmys In Memoriam Segment
-
Emmys Viewers Enraged After Shelley Duvall Snubbed From In Memoriam Segment: "Her Contributions Deserved To Be Honored"
-
R.I.P. Peter Renaday: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Actor Who Voiced Master Splinter Dead At 89
-
R.I.P. James Earl Jones: Hollywood Mourns 'The Lion King' Star After His Death At 93
Alan Parker, an influential British filmmaker, has died following a lengthy illness, Deadline reports. The two-time Oscar nominee was 76.
Parker was known for his films like Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning and The Commitments. He also directed Madonna in the 1996 drama Evita. Throughout his career, he was honored with multiple awards for his films, earning 19 BAFTA awards, ten Golden Globes and ten Oscars in total.
The influential director was deeply involved in UK cinema, helping create the Directors Guild of Great Britain and acting as founding Chairman of the UK Film Council for five years. In 1995, he was awarded Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), and was later knighted in 2002.
Parker was born in London in 1944. Before pivoting to film, he worked in the advertising world as a copywriter. His introduction to cinema began with writing and directing commercials, and by the late 1960’s he had established a career as a director, working alongside Ridley Scott, Hugh Hudson and Adrian Lyne.
In 1975, Parker wrote and directed Bugsy Malone, his first feature film. A young Jodie Foster starred in the gangster spoof musical with a cast made up entirely of children. Bugsy Malone went on to earn eight BAFTA film nominations and five awards. Parker’s second film, Midnight Express, was released in 1978. The controversial prison drama was a critical hit, earning two Oscars and six Academy Award nominations, as well as six Golden Globe Awards and four BAFTA awards. Parker also received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
In the years that followed, Parker continued to create hit films, including Fame, Shoot the Moon, Birdy, and the X-rated thriller Angel Heart. Parker earned his second Best Director nomination for 1988’s Mississippi Burning, a civil rights drama starring Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman. The film, which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, received seven Academy Award nominations and five BAFTA Awards.
Parker directed his final film, The Life of David Gale, in 2003. The death row drama starred Kate Winslet, Kevin Spacey and Laura Linney. In 2013, Parker was awarded the BAFTA fellowship. He is survived by his wife, Lisa Moran-Parker, his five children Lucy, Alexander, Jake, Nathan and Henry, and his seven grandchildren.
