Director Curtis Hanson who won an Oscar for L.A Confidential, was found dead in his California home on Tuesday. He was 71. According to a Reuters report, Hanson was found dead at his Hollywood Hills home at about 5 p.m. Reportedly, he died of natural causes. The report added that Hanson had retired from cinema recently due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Hanson has also made acclaimed films like the horror thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) and 8 Mile (2002). In 2012, he directed the surfing movie Chasing Mavericks but left the production owing to an undisclosed illness, and the film was completed by Michael Apted. In 1983, he directed a successful teen comedy, Losin’ It, starring Tom Cruise, and a rafting action adventure, The River Wild (1994), starring Meryl Streep.
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He was a skilled technician and a former magazine journalist before he ventured into filmmaking. It was L.A Confidential (1997) that vaulted him to the A-list status in Hollywood. The film, set in 1950’s Los Angeles, fetched Hanson an Oscar nomination for best picture and best director. The actress Kim Basinger won an Oscar for her role, and the film was nominated for its cinematography, art direction, sound, editing, and score. The Hollywood noir featured Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger (who won an Oscar for her role) and Danny De Vito in the main roles.
Hanson was the first chairman of the UCLA Film and Television Archive beginning in 1999. He also served as a member of the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences from 2001.
Hanson is survived by a 12-year-old son and companion Rebecca Yeldham, a producer.
Feature Image Courtesy: Reuters