John Irvin, the British director best known for his work on “Hamburger Hill” and the “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” miniseries, died last week. He was 86.
Irvin’s death, which occurred on Aug. 11, was confirmed by the director’s producers. It’s said the filmmaker passed at his sister-in-law’s home in the U.K. A cause of death was not shared.
Irvin’s multi-decade career boasted over 30 films and three BAFTA nominations. In addition to “Hamburger Hill” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” he was known for his work on “Turtle Diary,” “A Month by the Lake,” “City of Industry,” “Ghost Story” and “Widow’s Peak.”
Yet, he is most celebrated for his realistic depiction of warfare in his Vietnam War movie, the aforementioned “Hamburger Hill,” which starred Michael Patrick Boatman, Don Cheadle, Dylan McDermott, Tim Quill, Courtney B. Vance and Steven Weber.
Irvin was born alongside his twin, David, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England’s northernmost city, on May 7, 1940. He later attended the London Film School, graduating in the late ‘50s.
He started out his career by making documentaries in the ‘60s, including a short, titled “Mafia No!,” that was about an Italian activist named Danilo Dolci. “Mafia No!” was notably nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Short Film.
By the ‘70s, Irvin transitioned into directing for TV, where he helmed 1974’s “Possessions” and “Haunted,” as well as the pilot for “The Nearly Man.” But it was his 1979 miniseries adaptation of John le Carré’s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” which led to international acclaim, as the project was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series.
Irvin later made a name for himself in Hollywood by directing a number of pictures across genres, including the 1980 Christopher Walken-led “The Dogs of War” and the 1981 horror film “Ghost Story.”
Other notable credits included “Next of Kin,” “Robin Hood” and “Raw Deal.”
Irvin was predeceased by his wife Sophie, who passed from cancer in 1991. He is survived by their three children and his two grand children.
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