One of the Island’s best loved sons, Oscar winning film director Anthony Minghella, has died suddenly aged just 54 years old. His agent said he suffered a fatal haemorrhage in a London hospital, at 5am on Tuesday morning, days after having surgery on his tonsils and neck.
The Isle of Wight born acclaimed star began his career as a writer for the BBC. He went on to create the movies Truly Madly Deeply, The English Patient, Cold Mountain and The Talented Mr Ripley.
His latest work - a television adaptation of the novel The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency - is due to be screened this Easter. He had said of 90 minute pilot, “"I have never set out to make a comedy before and this is also the first time I've collaborated with another writer on a film. I consciously made the decision to work with [Richard Curtis] to make sure that I didn't drift into a way of looking at the world which is essentially glum, because I go there very quickly. I go to sorrow, pain and tragedy instinctively, so it is lovely for me on this film to encourage myself and those around me to find a tone that is playful and big-hearted."
Paying tribute, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, “He was one of Britain's greatest creative talents, one of our finest screen writers and directors”.
Our thoughts are with Anthony Minghella’s family, who run the Isle of Wight’s famous firm Minghella’s ice cream.