Leon Vitali, the Barry Lyndon actor who became one of Stanley Kubrick’s closest associates, has died. He was 74.
Vitale died Friday in Los Angeles, his family told The Associated Press on Sunday. He passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones, including Masha, Max and Vera’s three children.
“Leon was a special and sweet person, driven by his curiosity, who spread love and warmth wherever he went,” his children said in a statement from Masha Vitali. “He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by the many people he touched.”
Although Vitali has often been described as Kubrick’s assistant, Tony Zieri’s 2017 documentary “ Film worker ” shed light on the huge and largely unsung contribution of Vitaly to the work of one of the greatest figures of cinema from “The Shining” to “Shiroka vyschavysnykh ochys”. He did everything from casting and coaching actors to restorations. Vital even once set up a video monitor so Kubrick could watch his dying cat.
Matthew Modine, who starred in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, tweeted his condolences on Sunday.
“There are people we meet who greatly influence our lives. Leon Vitali was one of those people in mine,” Modine wrote. “An artist in all aspects of his life. Loving father and friend to many. Kind, generous and forgiving nature. He was an example and epitomized grace.”
Filmmaker Lee Unkrich also tweeted that he was: “Absolutely heartbroken to hear of Leon Vitali’s passing. He helped me tremendously (star) (star) with my book The Shining and I’m sad he won’t see it. He was a sweet, kind, humble, generous man and an important part of Stanley Kubrick’s team.”
Before meeting Kubrick, Vitale was a young actor in England, appearing in several British television shows, including Softly, Softly, Follyfoot, Z Cars and Notorious Woman. Then in 1974 he got his biggest break when he was cast as Lord Bullingdon in Barry Lyndon, the son-in-law of Ryan O’Neill’s main character.
Vital was so fascinated by Kubrick and his processes that he made an unusual decision: he gave up acting and devoted himself entirely to the famously demanding director for more than two decades. His next Kubrick credit was as “director’s personal assistant” on The Shining, though that’s only part of the story—vital is known to have helped 4-year-old Danny Lloyd cast Danny Torrance, as well as Louise and Lisa Burns as the Spooks. The Grady Twins (citing Diane Arbus as an inspiration).
“I made one really, really radical change in my life, and that’s when I said, ‘I’m more interested in this,’ than acting,” Vitale told The Associated Press in 2017. “This is the biggest conscious decision I’ve ever made. There were some casualties, but there were also gains.”
After Kubrick’s death in 1999, Vital supervised the restoration of many of Kubrick’s films. He won a Cinema Audio Society award for his work. Vital later worked with director Todd Field on his films “Little Children” and “In the Bedroom”.
Before filming the documentary, Ziera said he and many Kubrick-obsessed fans knew Vitali from his roles in Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut, in which he played Red Cloak, and as one of the key members of the close Kubrick’s entourage. But when they finally met with Vitaly to make the film, they were impressed by “his kindness, humility and the breathtaking scope of his story.”
Ziera is working on a director’s cut of The Filmmaker, which will include new footage that he and Vitale wanted to include in the film but were unable to in time for its 2017 Cannes debut.
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