Band of Brothers director David Leland dies as Pierce Brosnan leads tributes
BAFTA-winning British actor and director David Leland has died aged 82.
The celebrated star was surrounded by his family when he passed away on Christmas Eve. Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan was one of the first to pay tribute to the late star, saying: "David Leland holds a mighty place in my heart. I was just out of Drama Centre where David was also an alumnus.
"It was the thrill of my young lifetime to be cast as McCabe, working with David and Tennessee. David will forever be an essential part of my story and of all who knew and loved him." Leland's film work saw the late star pen movies like Personal Services, and Wish You Were Here and directed episode six of Band of Brothers.
Tim Roth, who starred in the director's movie Made in Britain, said: "David was there at the very beginning of this crazy adventure. He changed my life, and I love him for it. I'll keep him with me always," while Liam Neeson added: "David was a dream to work with. He was a real collaborator; he genuinely loved and admired actors.
Director David passed away on Christmas Eve"We formed a close bond. I loved his mischievous sense of humour. You are always in my heart old friend. See you down the road." Fellow filmmaker Terry Gilliam said: "The loss of David is very sad. As a friend, and as a writer/director, he was always solidly grounded… invariably sensitive and ruthlessly honest.
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"His 1987 film, Wish You Were Here, is still one of my all-time favourite British films." When he was young, he trained as an actor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. David, along with other teachers and students, soon formed the Drama Centre London.
(L to R) Eddie Izzard, Terry Gilliam, David Leland and Mike Edmonds (front)He gained several credits before working in stage management and direction at the Crucible Theatre. At the theatre, he worked with Monty Python stars Michael Palin and Terry Jones. He also began his collaboration with director Alan Clarke in 1981. Their movie, Made in Britain, was widely-loved and was Tim's first screen role.
A few years later, David and Neil Jordan co-wrote the screenplay for Mona Lisa. Thanks to that, he was nominated for BAFTA, Golden Globe and Writers Guild of America awards. David went on to direct The Big Man and Land Girls and directed the stage musical A Tribute to the Blues Brothers.
Most famously, he directed an Emmy-winning episode of HBO's Band of Brothers before becoming a director and writer on The Borgias. He was a close friend of The Beatles icon George Harrison and director of the 1988 film Checking Out. After George's death, he worked on the memorial, Concert for George, which won a Grammy Award.
Other notable works from David include The White River Kid, Virgin Territory, The Land Girls and more.
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