Filmmaker
Alan
Parker
known
as
one
of
Britain's
most
successful
directors
has
died
at
the
age
of
76.
He
was
best
known
for
films
like
Bugsy
Malone,
Midnight
Express,
Evita,
Fame,
Mississippi
Burning,
The
Commitments
and
Angela's
Ashes.
He
won
over
10
Academy
Awards
and
19
British
Academy
Film
Awards
throughout
his
career.
The
family
in
a
statement
revealed
that
Parker
died
on
Friday
in
London
after
a
long
illness.
He
is
survived
by
his
wife
Lisa
Moran-Parker,
children
Lucy,
Alexander,
Jake,
Nathan
and
Henry,
and
seven
grandchildren.
Fellow
director
David
Puttnam
said,
"Parker
was
my
oldest
and
closest
friend
-
I
was
always
in
awe
of
his
talent.
My
life,
and
those
of
many
others
who
loved
and
respected
him
will
never
be
the
same
again.''
The
Academy
Called
Alan
Parker
An
Extraordinary
Talent
The
British
Academy
of
Film
and
Television
Arts
(BAFTA)
also
opened
up
about
Alan
Parker's
demise
and
said
they
are
"deeply
saddened"
by
the
news.
The
US
Academy
of
Motion
Picture
Arts
and
Science
called
him
"an
extraordinary
talent."
The
tweet
added,
"His
work
entertained
us,
connected
us,
and
gave
us
such
a
strong
sense
of
time
and
place."
Parker
Is
Known
For
Working
In
Different
Genres
Parker,
born
in
London
in
1944,
began
his
career
in
advertising
and
moved
to
work
in
the
Television
Industry
with
the
critically
acclaimed
1974
drama,
The
Evacuees.
The
show
went
on
to
win
an
International
Emmy
Award
the
following
year.
He
soon
moved
on
to
feature
films
and
directed
the
first
film,
Bugsy
Malone
starring
young
Jodie
Foster,
followed
by
Midnight
Express,
which
won
two
Oscars
and
a
nomination
for
best
director.
He
was
also
known
for
directing
musicals
like
Fame,
family
dramas
like
Shoot
the
Moon
and
thrillers
like
Angel
Heart.
Parker
Won
Several
Oscars
As
Well
As
BAFTA
Awards
Parker
reportedly
also
severed
as
the
chairman
of
the
British
Film
Institute
and
the
UK
Film
Council.
He
was
also
knighted
by
Queen
Elizabeth
II
in
2002.