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Michael Apted, the acclaimed British director of the \u201cUp\u201d documentaries series and films as diverse as the Loretta Lynn biopic \u201cCoal Miner\u2019s Daughter\u201d and the James Bond film \u201cThe World Is Not Enough,\u201d has died. He was 79.<\/p>\n
A representative for the Directors Guild of America said his family informed the organization that he passed Thursday night. No cause was given.<\/p>\n
An incredibly prolific director, Apted\u2019s legacy is perhaps most defined by the nine \u201cUp\u201d films, which followed the lives of 14 economically diverse British children from age 7 to 63. The project started in 1964 with \u201cSeven Up!\u201d the brainchild of the late Canadian filmmaker Paul Almond.
\nApted served as a researcher on the first and seven years later, took over as director and continued checking in with the subjects every seven years. The ambitious project earned him an Institutional Peabody Award in 2012 and also had the honor of being satirized by \u201cThe Simpsons\u201d in a 2007 episode. The last film, \u201c63 Up,\u201d came out in 2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe series was an attempt to do a long view of English society,\u201d Apted told Slant Magazine in 2019. \u201cThe class system needed a kick up the backside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Apted was born in Aylesbury in 1941. Scholarships allowed him to study at Cambridge, where he counted John Cleese among his friends. He started in media with an apprenticeship at Granada Television, working on productions such as \u201cCoronation Street.\u201d<\/p>\n
He made his feature debut in 1972 on \u201cThe Triple Echo\u201d with Oliver Reed and Glenda Jackson. In 1980, he came to the U.S. to direct \u201cCoal Miner\u2019s Daughter,\u201d a commercial and critical success which earned Sissy Spacek a best actress Oscar. Apted ended up moving to California after that and worked steadily in film and television for the next 40 years.<\/p>\n
Although Apted himself was never nominated for an Oscar, his films would garner two more acting nominations: Sigourney Weaver for her portrayal of Dian Fossey in \u201cGorillas in the Mist\u201d and Jodie Foster for \u201cNell.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tweeted Friday that, \u201cHe will be missed.\u201d Apted was actively involved in his own industry, having served as an Academy governor and as president of the DGA from 2003 to 2009.<\/p>\n
He directed a wide variety of projects and stars including John Belushi in \u201cContinental Divide,\u201d William Hurt in \u201cGorky Park,\u201d Hugh Grant and Gene Hackman in \u201cExtreme Measures\u201d and Jennifer Lopez in \u201cEnough.\u201d In 1999, he directed the third Pierce Brosnan James Bond film, \u201cThe World Is Not Enough,\u201d More recently, he worked on the Showtime series \u201cMasters of Sex.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taylor Hackford, who succeeded Apted at the DGA said in a statement that he was \u201cthe definition of \u2018mensch\u2019 \u2013 like the wonderful director he was, you could always count on him to deliver a clear and well thought out point-of-view, usually leavened with a dollop of dry wit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven Soderbergh, who also served alongside Apted at the DGA, added that he, \u201cspent countless hours literally two feet from Michael and loved every minute of it. Apart from his own remarkable body of work, what he gave to the DGA can\u2019t be measured; he put his entire BEING into the Guild and inspired us all to follow his example.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Apted wasn\u2019t looking to slow down either. He told Slant Magazine that he would be keen to do a \u201c70 Up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to go on for as long as I am above ground,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d like it to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Michael Apted, the acclaimed British director of the \u201cUp\u201d documentaries series and films as diverse as the Loretta Lynn biopic \u201cCoal Miner\u2019s Daughter\u201d and the James Bond film \u201cThe World Is Not Enough,\u201d has died. He was 79. A representative for the Directors Guild of America said his family informed the organization that he passed …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":65068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11185],"tags":[66564,66568,66566],"yoast_head":"\n