Anthony Minghella dies aged 54

[Pip Madeley]

A great talent lost:

British film director Anthony Minghella has died at the age of 54, his agent has said.

Minghella, whose films include Truly, Madly, Deeply and Cold Mountain, was chairman of the British Film Institute. In 1996, he won an Oscar for directing The English Patient and was also Oscar-nominated for writing the screenplay for 1999's The Talented Mr Ripley.

He has also directed a TV episode of book The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, due to be screened this Easter. A 90-minute pilot, directed by Minghella and co-written with Richard Curtis, is due to be screened on BBC One. Minghella began his career as a writer with his early radio plays winning several awards. He made his first film, Truly, Madly, Deeply, in 1991, followed by The English Patient and The Talented Mr Ripley.

When he took on the role of chairman of the British Film Institute (BFI) in 2003, he told the BBC: "We're not getting enough movies made here, our studios aren't busy enough, we don't have enough studios. We're not good at lassoing the talent we have here and containing it within the British Isles, and we should all be working to address that."

[SiHart]

Oh my! That's a shock, and 54 is no age at all to die.

He started his screenwriting career writing early 80s episodes of Grange Hill you know. he was a very talented screenwriter and it'll be a great loss.

Si xx

[Larry]

to be honest i've never heard of him but 54 is a very young age to die.

[Paul Monk]

Never cared much for his films but he was largely responsible for one of the best kids programmes ever...the Storyteller.

[Alex]

Oddly enough I just bought The Storyteller book that he wrote last week, and had just heard he'd been commissioned to direct a 13 part joint BBC / HBO series of the No.1 Detective Ladies Agency, so this came as a real shock.

I'm not a huge fan of his later work, but I loved Truly Madly Deeply to pieces, and his work for the BFI, and feel this is an awful shame.

[WhiteCrow]

It's truely sad he died so relatively young. But that said, he directed the worst film of all time in my books The English Patient, I've never felt so violated out of 3 hours of my life as with that film.

[Rob McCow]

The English Patient might not be for everyone, but Minghela's episodes of Morse were a complete joy. In my opinion he was more than just a talented writer - he was a classic. Very sad to hear of his death.

[Captain Tancredi]

Can't honestly say that I'm aware of having seen anything he made, but Mother said earlier that it was a shame about Anthony Nigella.

[Rob McCow]

Minghella's most recent work, a TV adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, is to air on Sunday. Jane Tranter, the BBC controller of fiction, said: "The work he had completed on The No1 Ladies' Detective Agency was quintessentially Anthony, epic but personal, thought-provoking but entertaining, edgy but with a strong moral heart and warmth. He was one of the UK's finest writing and directing talents and he will be sorely missed."

From the Independent.