Actor- Director Richard Attenborough Dies at 90
Oscar-winning director Richard Attenborough has passed away just a few days short of his 91st birthday.
Attenborough acted in several films before turning to direction where he achieved worldwide fame. In his long career, Attenborough appeared in films like "Brighton Rock", "The Great Escape" and the runaway success "Jurassic Park", reports the BBC.
His role as a British officer in "The Great escape" put him in the league of the best actors of Hollywood.
Sir Attenborough was knighted in 1976 .
But his greatest achievement was directing the epic film, "Gandhi", which won him two Oscars.
Sir Ben Kingsley, who played the title role in "Gandhi", said that he would miss Attenborough dearly.
"Richard Attenborough trusted me with the crucial and central task of bringing to life a dream it took him 20 years to bring to fruition. "When he gave me the part of Gandhi it was with great grace and joy. He placed in me an absolute trust and in turn I placed an absolute trust in him and grew to love him," Kingsley said, according to BBC. He took 20 years to make Gandhi.
He once said that he went bankrupt several times during the making of the film and had to mortgage his house. His family also suffered . But he took risks because he cared so much about the film, Attenborough said, reports the CNN.
Offering his tribute to the actor, British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted on Sunday that Attenborough's acting in "Brighton Rock" and his direction of "Gandhi" was stunning. He added that Attenborough was one of the greats of cinema.
"My philosophy has always been that I believe that art is not an elitist gift for a few select people. Art is for everyone," Attenborough once said.
