According to reports, David Seidler, most famous for his award-winning writing on The King’s Speech, has passed away at the age of 86.
The screenwriter, who was born in London and struggled with a stammer in his youth, drew inspiration from the real-life story of King George VI’s journey to overcoming his speech impediment through the help of a speech and language therapist.
According to Jeff Aghassi, the manager, American sources announced the passing of the English author during a fly-fishing excursion in New Zealand on Saturday.
Aghassi stated that David was in his favorite place in the world, New Zealand, engaging in his most beloved activity of fly fishing. If given the opportunity, this is exactly how he would have planned it.
Seidler was the recipient of both the Oscar and Bafta for best original screenplay in 2010 for his historical drama. The film featured Colin Firth, who won the best actor Bafta and Oscar for his portrayal of the king. The project also received the best picture Oscar and was honored with best film and outstanding British film at the Baftas.
Seidler was also behind the stage adaptation of the film, which opened in the West End in 2012.
During his time as a writer, Seidler worked on a variety of projects, such as the animated musicals The King and I, Quest for Camelot, and Madeline: Lost in Paris, which were all geared towards children.
In 1988, Seidler received his initial Writers’ Guild accolade for the biographical film “Onassis: The Richest Man in the World,” which featured Raul Julia as the Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis. He also co-wrote the 1988 comedic drama “Tucker: The Man and His Dream,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Source: theguardian.com
