David Leland

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David Leland
Born(1941-04-20)20 April 1941
Cambridge, England
Died24 December 2023(2023-12-24) (aged 82)
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, actor

David Leland (20 April 1941 – 24 December 2023) was a British film director, screenwriter and actor who came to international fame with his directorial debut

Wish You Were Here in 1987.[1]

Life and career

Leland initially trained as an actor at

Mona Lisa, featuring Bob Hoskins.[6] With Jordan, he was nominated for BAFTA, Golden Globe and Writers Guild of America awards.[7]

Leland then wrote Personal Services in 1986.[8] It was directed by Terry Jones and concerned Cynthia Payne, a real-life British madam who ran a private brothel.[9] Julie Walters took the leading role. While Personal Services dealt with the adult life of Cynthia Payne, Leland's next film, Wish You Were Here, concerned her teenage years.[10] This film was a success at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival and it made the young British actress Emily Lloyd a star.[11] It was awarded the FIPRESCI-Award at Cannes and the BAFTA for best screenplay.[12][13]

In 1991, Leland directed the successful stage musical A Tribute to the Blues Brothers, which played on the West End and then toured for ten years in the UK and Australia.[14]

Leland's next two films,

Band of Brothers.[4][15]

In 2012, Leland joined the Showtime series The Borgias as co-showrunner and executive producer (alongside Neil Jordan, whom he had worked with on Mona Lisa), writing the last five episodes of its second season and directing its last two episodes.[3] He described his stint as co-showrunner and executive producer as a "hands-on" experience and having to commit to extensive research on the Renaissance.[3]

After the death of his friend

Grammy Award. His also directed the Dino De Laurentiis produced Virgin Territory, released in 2007.[18]

Leland died on 24 December 2023, at the age of 82.[19][20]

Filmography

Actor

Screenwriter

Director

Films
Television
  • Band of Brothers
    (part No. 6 "Bastogne") (2001)
  • The Borgias (episode 9; also writer and executive producer of the series; 2012)

Awards and nominations

  • 2005
    Grammy Award
    for best long form music video (Concert for George)
  • 2002
    Emmy Award
    for directing a miniseries (Band of Brothers)
  • 2002 Christopher Award for best miniseries (Band of Brothers)
  • 1988
    BAFTA
    Award for best screenplay (Wish You Were Here)
  • 1987
    FIPRESCI
    Award International Cannes Film Festival (Wish You Were Here)
  • 1987 Peter Sellers Award for Comedy (Evening Standard British Film Awards) (Wish You Were Here and Personal Services)
  • 1986 Writers Guild of America Nomination (Mona Lisa)
  • 1986
    Golden Globe
    Nomination (Mona Lisa)

References

  1. ^ Maslin, Janet (24 July 1987). "Wish You Were Here (1987)". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Soham Grammarians - David Leland (1952 entry)". Sohamgrammar.org.uk.
  3. ^ a b c Whitney, Hilary (2 July 2011). "Q&A: Writer/Director David Leland". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  4. ^ a b c "BFI Screenonline: Leland, David (1947-) Biography". Screenonline.org.uk.
  5. ^ "Made in Britain (1981) - Alan Clarke". AllMovie.
  6. ^ "Mona Lisa (1986)". BFI. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016.
  7. ^ "BAFTA Awards". Awards.bafta.org.
  8. ^ "Personal Services (1987)". BFI. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Personal Services (1987) - Terry Jones | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
  10. ^ Ebert, Roger. "Wish You Were Here movie review (1987) | Roger Ebert". Rogerebert.com/.
  11. ^ "Wish You Were Here (1987) - David Leland | Review". AllMovie.
  12. ^ "Movies". Dipresci.org. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Wish You Were Here (1987) - David Leland | Awards". AllMovie.
  14. ^ "The Official Tribute to the Blues Brothers - Live On Stage". Users.monash.edu. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  15. ^ "David Leland | TV, Documentary and Other Appearances". AllMovie.
  16. ^ "Concert for George (2003)". BFI. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018.
  17. ^ "Concert for George". Concord.com.
  18. ^ "The DECAMERON: ANGELS AND VIRGINS (2005)". BFI. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019.
  19. ^ Whittock, Jesse (27 December 2023). "David Leland Dies: 'Wish You Were Here' Director & 'The Borgias' Co-Showrunner Was 82". Deadline. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  20. ^ Etan Vlessing (27 December 2023). "David Leland, 'Wish You Were Here' Director, Dies at 82". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Flying into the Wind (1983)". BFI. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019.

External links