Director and actor Richard Attenborugh died Sunday. He was 90 years old.
Though widely recognized for his efforts in the promotion of British stage and film — efforts that earned him a life peerage from Queen Elizabeth II in 1993, it was his direction of Oscar-winning film Gandhi in 1982 that brought him to the attention of the North American public.
Despite boasting a filmography that includes Oh! What A Lovely War, Cry Freedom, Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet, Chaplin, and Doctor Dolittle (for which he won a Golden Globe), it was his turn as John Hammond in Steven Spielberg’s highly successful Jurassic Park in 1993 that introduced Attenborough to a new generation.
Attenborough is survived by his three children: Jane, Michael, and Charlotte. His younger brother, David, is an acclaimed nature documentary filmmaker.
Steven Spielberg issued the following statement upon hearing of Attenborough’s passing: “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.”;
