Chariots Of Fire actor Nigel Havers leads the tributes to UK film and commercials director Hugh Hudson who passed away at the age of 86 on Friday (February 10).
The actor called starring in Hudson’s 1981 classic ”one of the greatest experiences of my professional life” and said he was “beyond devastated” by the news. “Like so many others, I owe much of what followed to him. I shall miss him greatly.”
Antonio Banderas, who starred in Hudson’s 2016 Spanish-language film Altamira, said on Twitter: ”Good bye mister Hudson. What a wonderful pleasure was working with such an amazing, talented and loving person. I have no words to describe saying good bye to Carlos Saura yesterday and to Hugh Hudson today. Thank you both for everything you left behind.”
Hudson’s family said the director died at Charing Cross hospital in London following a short illness.
David Puttnam, who produced Chariots Of Fire as well as Hudson’s 1999 drama My Life So Far, also shared a statement on Twitter describing it as “a very sad day”.
“His passing, coming on the heels of the loss of Vangelis and the film’s screenwriter, Colin Welland, offer a moment to reflect on how incredibly fortunate I was, maybe we all were, to work together at a very particular point in our careers,” said Puttnam.
Chariots Of Fire was Hudson’s first fiction feature film and was nominated for seven Oscars and 11 Bafta Film Awards, picking up four in the former and three in latter – including best picture at both.
Hudson’s follow-up to Chariots was 1984’s Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes. That film went on to pick up three Oscar and six Bafta nominations, although his film career took a knock after the release the following year of the costly but under-performing historical drama Revolution starring Al Pacino.
His other films include 1989’s Lost Angels and 2000’s I Dreamed Of Africa which both screened at Cannes, in Competition and Un Certain Regard respectively.
Hudson is survived by his wife, actress Maryam D’Abo, and a son from his first marriage.
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