The British filmmaker who directed 'Evita' and 'Bugsy Malone' has passed away at the age of 76 after his health deteriorated following a long battle with illness.
- Aug 1, 2020
AceShowbiz - "Evita" and "Bugsy Malone" director Sir Alan Parker has died at the age of 76.
The two-time Oscar nominee passed away on Friday morning (31Jul20) following a long illness, according to officials at the British Film Institute (BFI).
Parker rose to prominence in the 1970s and made a splash with his first feature film, 1976 gangster musical "Bugsy Malone".
He went on to earn his first Oscar nomination for best director for 1978 prison drama "Midnight Express", which won Oliver Stone the Best Screenplay prize.
Parker received his second Academy Awards nod 10 years later for "Mississippi Burning".
He frequently revisited his penchant for musical movies with hits such as "Fame", "The Commitments", and "Evita", starring Madonna, while he was also the man behind the camera for 1982's "Pink Floyd - The Wall", based on the rock band's album of the same name.
Parker's other credits included "Angela's Ashes", "Shoot the Moon", "Angel Heart", and 2003 thriller "The Life of David Gale", which became his final movie.
Throughout his career, Parker was also nominated for three Golden Globes and eight British Academy Film Awards, and in 1985, he was presented with the prestigious Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema.
He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the film industry in 1995 and was knighted in 2002.
The filmmaker served as chairman of the Board of Governors of the BFI in 1998 and as the first chairman of the U.K. Film Council the following year.
