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Richard Attenborough, an acclaimed British actor and director whose film career spanned more than six decades, has passed away at the age of 90.

The actor’s son, Michael, told the BBC that his father died, having been in poor health. UK Prime Minister David Cameron called him “one of the greats of cinema.”

Attenborough won an Academy Award for Best Director with Gandhi in 1982, only one of many highlights of a distinguished career as actor and director.

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With his distinctive white hair and beard, “Dickie” was one of the most familiar and beloved faces on the British film scene for more than half a century.

He appeared in a many major films, directed a series of them and was known for his extensive work as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF as well.

Gandhi, a film that was 20 years in the making and won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, was his crowning achievement, but far from his only one.

He also played the theme park developer in Jurassic Park and Kriss Kringle in a remake of Miracle on 34th Street, showcasing his range in his later years.

 

Nearly 50 years earlier, in 1947, Attenborough gave one of the best performances of his career as menacing teenage thug Pinkie in Brighton Rock.

The son of a university principal, Richard Attenborough was born August 29, 1923, into a family with strong liberal views and a tradition of humanitarian work.

One of his younger brothers is naturalist David Attenborough, whose nature documentaries have also reached adoring audiences around the world.

Richard’s artistic and humanitarian efforts were rewarded with several international prizes, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Prize in 1983.

He was knighted by Great Britain in 1976, and 17 years later received a life peerage, becoming Baron Attenborough of Richmond upon Thames.

He is survived by his wife, their son and a daughter. R.I.P.