Richard Attenborough, director and producer of Ghandi, passed away on Sunday at the age of 90. Attenborough is also known for his role in Jurassic Park, starring as John Hammond the owner and founder of Jurassic Park and InGen. Originating from Cambridge, Lord Attenborough transitioned to Hollywood where he starred in his first feature, The Great Escape (1963). He also co-starred alongside Jimmy Stewart in The Flight of the Phoneix (1965). Throughout his career he won three Golden Globe Awards: best supporting actor in The Sand Pebbles (1966), best supporting actor in Doctor Doolittle (1967) and best director for Ghandi (1982).
Ghandi also won Attenborough two oscars: one for best director and one for best picture.
Attenborough appeared in the four-hour cinematic version of Hamlet (1996) as the English ambassador. He was the chief adviser of Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) in 1998’s Elizabeth, however in his later career his focus was directing.
In 2008 with his associate Diana Hawkins, he published an autobiography “Entirely Up to You, Darling.” BBC News reports “Chris Hewitt from Empire Magazine [said] Lord Attenborough had a “huge impact” on cinema, describing him as a “universally beloved” figure.”
