Legendary 'Amadeus' director Miloš Forman is dead at 86
Miloš Forman, the Czech American filmmaker who may have been best-known for his Oscar-winning work on Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, is dead at 86.
Forman died on Friday after a brief, unspecified illness, his wife, Martina Zborilova-Forman, told the Czech News Agency (h/t Variety). She said in a brief statement that "his departure was calm, and he was surrounded the whole time by his family and his closest friends."
One of many directors making up film's "Czech New Wave" of the 1960s, Forman's first appearance on the Hollywood radar dates back to the middle years of that decade. His early works Loves of a Blonde and The Firemen's Ball both scored "Best Foreign Film" nominations at the Academy Awards.
Forman's earliest work in the United States was Taking Off, which turned out to be a critical and commercial failure despite winning the Grand Prix at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. It did, however, lead him to connect with producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz for what turned out to be his Hollywood breakout.
The 1975 adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, secured Forman his first Best Director win at the Academy Awards. It also won Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
In many ways, Cuckoo set the tone for Forman's Hollywood work to follow, a filmography dominated largely by thoughtful adaptations and biographies. His best known works tell someone else's story, from adaptations of Hair (a Broadway music) and Amadeus (a stage play) to biopics about Hustler founder Larry Flynt (The People vs. Larry Flynt) and comedian Andy Kaufman (Man on the Moon).
Forman's passing prompted a swift response from major figures in Hollywood and beyond.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Topics Film
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
