The British filmmaker, who was best known for helming the classic romantic comedy fronted by Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, has passed away at the age of 65.
- Sep 24, 2021
AceShowbiz - British director Roger Michell has died at the age of 65.
The filmmaker, whose credits include "Notting Hill" and "My Cousin Rachel", passed away on Wednesday (22Sep21), according to his publicist.
"It is with great sadness that the family of Roger Michell, director, writer and father of Harry, Rosie, Maggie and Sparrow, announce his death at the age of 65 on September 22," a statement reads.
Born in South Africa, Michell studied at Cambridge University and had a successful career in theatre with stints at the U.K.'s Royal Court Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he was resident director, and the National Theatre, before making his mark on TV and film.
He was behind the camera for the acclaimed series adaptation of Hanif Kureishi's "The Buddha of Suburbia" in 1993, and his 1995 BBC film adaptation of Jane Austen's "Persuasion" won the BAFTA for Best Single Drama. Roger made his debut as a movie director in 1997 with "My Night with Reg".
His biggest hit was the 1999 romantic comedy "Notting Hill", written by Richard Curtis and starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.
Michell followed that with the 2002 thriller "Changing Lanes", starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson, and 2006's "Venus", which earned Peter O'Toole his final Oscar nomination.
Other film credits include 2010's "Morning Glory" and 2012's "Hyde Park on Hudson".
His final project, documentary "Elizabeth", is currently in post-production.
