Film, theater and opera director Anthony Minghella has died of a brain hemorrage in London last week; he had had "a routine operation to remove a growth in his neck at Charing Cross Hospital, central London, on Thursday and it was believed he was recovering well", the Daily Telegraph reports.
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Jude Law and Ralph Fiennes, two of Anthony Minghella's leading actors, have spoken out about the passing of their former colleague.
Jude Law, who appeared in Minghella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley", and netted an Oscar nomination for Minghella's "Cold Mountain" said:
"I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear of Anthony's untimely death. I worked with him on three films, more than with any other director, but had come to value him more as a friend than as a colleague. He was a brilliantly talented writer and director who wrote dialogue that was a joy to speak and then put it onto the screen in a way that always looked effortless. He made work feel like fun. He was a sweet, warm, bright and funny man who was interested in everything from football to opera, films, music, literature, people and most of all his family whom he adored and to whom I send my thoughts and love. I shall miss him hugely."
Ralph Fiennes, who starred in Minghella's "The English Patient" (for which Minghella won an Oscar for Best Director) said:
"Anthony possessed a sensitivity and alertness to the actor's process that very few directors have. He directed most of The English Patient with an ankle in plaster, never losing his gentle humor and precision. He delighted in the contribution of everyone – he was a true collaborator. His films deal with extreme aloneness and the redemptive power of love, even at the moment of death. I will remember him as a man who always wanted to get to the heart of the matter."
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Anthony Minghella is survived by close family members who also have had careers in film. More famillar to OC is his 23-year-old son, Max Giorgio Choa Minghella (above), who has had uncredited roles in a few of his father's films, currently attends NYC's Columbia University, and who last we knew, was dating 23-year-old Leigh Lezark, Lower East Side DJ (a founding member of the insanely popular weekly MisShapes parties), part-time model, and club promoter (seen in photo below, at the opening night of Minghella's 2006-07 Metropolitan season opener of Madama Butterfly).
