British playwright Tom Stoppard, who won an Oscar for the screenplay of the 1998 movie "Shakespeare In Love", has died at the age of 88, United Agents announced on Saturday, November 29.
Stoppard, who first made his name with "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" – an absurdist tragicomedy about two minor characters from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" –, developed a distinctive style combining serious ideas with comedy.
"We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved client and friend, Tom Stoppard, has died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family," the talent agency said. "He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language."
Rock legend Mick Jagger led the tributes on social media. "Tom Stoppard was my favorite playwright," Rolling Stones frontman Jagger posted on X. "He leaves us with a majestic body of intellectual and amusing work. I will always miss him."
In London, the Olivier Awards announced that West End theatres would dim their lights for two minutes at 7:00 pm on Tuesday in his memory.
