Oscar-Winning Director Anthony Minghella Dead

Anthony Minghella, who won an Oscar in 1997 for directing The English Patient, has died at the aged of 54. Minghella also directed the films Truly, Madly, Deeply and Cold Mountain.

Reportedly the director had an operation for a growth in his neck last week, which was successful, but he soon suffered a fatal haemorrhage that killed him.

Jude Law, who worked with Minghella on three films, told the press he was “deeply shocked and saddened” at the news. Law described Minghells as “a brilliantly talented writer and director” and “a sweet, warm, bright and funny man”.

Law’s Cold Mountain co-star Gwyneth Paltrow said Minghella was “a wonderful man” who was “so interested in art and making the world better for art”.

Minghella had also recently directed a TV episode of book The No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. A 90-minute pilot, directed by Minghella and co-written with Richard Curtis, is due to be broadcast on BBC One on Easter Sunday.

Minghella made his directorial debut in Truly, Madly, Deeply in 1991. He went on to write and direct film adaptations of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient and Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. In 1999, Minghella was nominated for an Oscar for writing The Talented Mr. Ripley screenplay. He also directed 2003’s Cold Mountain, starring Law, Kidman and Renee Zellweger, who won the best supporting actress Oscar for that film. He was also chairman of the British Film Institute.