- Culture
- Film
- News
Stoppard won an Oscar in 1999 for Best Adapted Screenplay for ‘Shakespeare in Love’
Caitlin Hornikin New YorkSaturday 29 November 2025 17:52 GMTComments
CloseBrandon Uranowitz ('Leopoldstadt') explores Jewish 'family, identity and memory' in Tom Stoppard's sprawling play
Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email
Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter
Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter
Email*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
Award-winning playwright Tom Stoppard has died aged 88.
His representatives at United Agents confirmed the news in a statement, telling multiple outlets: “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.
“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.
“It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him.”
Stoppard amassed three Olivier Awards, five Tonys and an Oscar throughout his decades-long career in television, theatre, and film. He was also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for his contributions to theater.
open image in gallerySir Tom Stoppard has died aged 88 (Family handout/Matt Humphrey/PA)
open image in galleryStoppard won three Olivier Awards, five Tonys and an Oscar during his storied career (Getty Images for Tony Awards Pro)His Broadway debut came in 1967 with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which earned him his first Tony Award for Best Play. He won again in 1976 for Travesties, 1984 for The Real Thing, 2007 for The Coast of Utopia, and most recently in 2023 for Leopoldstadt.
Beyond those, Stoppard was also well-known for Jumpers, Arcadia, The Invention of Love, and Rock 'n' Roll.
Stoppard added an Oscar to his collection in 1999 when he won Best Adapted Screenplay with Marc Norman for Shakespeare in Love. The hit film won seven total Oscars, including Best Picture.
In 1937, Stoppard was born Tomas Straussler in Czechoslovakia. During the Nazi occupation, he fled to Britain where he learned a new language and pursued a career in journalism. He became a theater critic while penning radio and television plays before going on to become a proper playwright.
More to follow
More about
Tom StoppardplaywrightDeathJoin our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
