The death has been announced of the French-Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée, best known for his work on the hit television series Big Little Lies and the Oscar-winning film Dallas Buyers Club. He was 58.
It is reported that Montreal-born Vallée died at his cabin outside Quebec City. No cause of death has been reported.
Paying tribute, his producing partner, Nathan Ross, said in a statement: "Jean-Marc stood for creativity, authenticity and trying things differently. He was a true artist and a generous, loving guy.
"Everyone who worked with him couldn't help but see the talent and vision he possessed. He was a friend, creative partner and an older brother to me. The maestro will sorely be missed but it comforts knowing his beautiful style and impactful work he shared with the world will live on."
Vallée was a double Emmy winner for his directing and producing work on the thriller Big Little Lies.
He directed Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto to Oscar wins for 2013's Dallas Buyers Club, the true story of a HIV-positive man who smuggled unapproved pharmaceutical drugs into the US to help other AIDS patients.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The film also won an Oscar for Makeup and Hairstyling, with Vallée receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Editing.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Vallée's other films included the coming-of-age drama C.R.A.Z.Y., the Emily Blunt-starring The Young Victoria - an Oscar-winning film for Costume Design - and the true story adventure Wild, which earned Oscar nominations for stars Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern.
Paying tribute, Witherspoon wrote: "My heart is broken. My friend. I love you."
My heart is broken. My friend. I love you. https://t.co/dvh63E8K7I
— Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) December 27, 2021
Vallée reunited with Witherspoon and Dern for Big Little Lies, the HBO series based on the Liane Moriarty novel of the same name. The two-season series won over a dozen Emmys including awards for stars Dern, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Alexander Skarsgård.
We need your consent to load this YouTube contentWe use YouTube to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Vallée's most recent work was the Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson-starring series Sharp Objects, an adaptation of the Gillian Flynn book of the same name, also for HBO. It received eight nominations at the 2019 Emmys.
Entertainment trade publication Variety reports that Vallée had been due to direct Gorilla and the Bird, a HBO series based on the memoir by Zack McDermott that told the story of McDermott's nervous breakdown.
In a statement, HBO said: "Jean-Marc Vallée was a brilliant, fiercely dedicated filmmaker, a truly phenomenal talent who infused every scene with a deeply visceral, emotional truth.
"He was also a hugely caring man who invested his whole self alongside every actor he directed. We are shocked at the news of his sudden death, and we extend our heartfelt sympathies to his sons, Alex and Émile, his extended family, and his longtime producing partner, Nathan Ross."
Vallée is survived by his two sons and three siblings, reports Variety.
