Liam Neeson Mourns Director David Leland After His Death at 82: ‘You Are Always in My Heart, Old Friend’

Colleagues and friends pay tribute to late director David Leland.

Leland’s agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates confirmed that Leland died on Christmas Eve at the age of 82. The Hollywood Reporter and deadline reported.

Several actors who worked on his films during his five-decade career shared statements honoring the filmmaker, including Liam Neeson, who worked with Leland on the 1990 film. great man aka Crossing the line.

“David was a dream to work with,” said Neeson, 71. “He was a real collaborator; he genuinely loved actors and admired them. We established a close bond. I loved his mischievous sense of humor.”

“You’re always in my heart, old friend,” he added. “See you on the road.”

British film director, screenwriter and actor David Leland in Cannes, France, 1987.

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Pierce Brosnan, who worked closely with Leland on his first stage production Battery symbol Red Devil at The Round House, said the director “holds a powerful place in my heart,” according to Deadline.

“I just came out of the Drama Center where David was also a student,” Brosnan said. “It was the thrill of my young life to be cast as McCabe, to work with David and Tennessee. David will forever be an important part of my story and everyone who knew and loved him.”

Filmmaker David Leland with viewfinder in 1991.

ary Evans/PALACE PRODUCTIONS/Ronald Grant/Everett

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Tim Roth recalled in a statement to Deadline that Leland “was there at the very beginning of this crazy adventure.”

Leland wrote the first film that Roth was ever in, so-called Made in Britain. “He changed my life and I love him for that. I will always keep him with me,” he said.

Leland was born on April 20, 1941 in the United Kingdom and initially trained to become an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama, according to IMDb.

He landed a few minor film roles before entering the theater world, working as a manager and director at the Crucible Theatre. While working in the theater, he began working with up-and-coming actors like Brosnan, which gave him his first opportunity to appear on stage. He also worked with Monty python actors Michael Palin and Terry Jones.

Actor Hayden Christensen (above) with director David Leland on the set of ‘Virgin Territory’ in Italy, 2007.

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In 1991, he also directed a musical Tribute to the Blues Brothers, which played in the West End.

After a few years, his career shifted from the theater stage to the screen, including writing several screenplays Made in Britain (1982), The birth of a nation (1983) and Mona Lisa (1986).

He continued to work on Wish You Were Here (1987) starring Emily Lloyd, which was his first film to direct. The film helped Leland win several awards, including the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay and the FIPRESCI Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Leland also directed A great man (1990) and land girls (1998). He then moved on to TV, directing an episode for HBO Family of brothers. His latest credit on IMDb shows that he was the writer and director of the Showtime drama The Borgias.

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Source: HIS Education