The writer of The King’s Speech David Seidler has died aged 87, his longtime manager has announced.
The Academy Award winner was fly-fishing in New Zealand when he passed away on Saturday, though no cause was given.
David wrote the stage and screen versions of the acclaimed play – which went on to bag Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor gongs at the Oscars for the 2023 film.
Speaking to Deadline on Sunday, David’s longtime manager Jeff Aghassi broke the news of his death.
‘David was in the place he loved most in the world – New Zealand – doing what gave him the greatest peace which was fly-fishing,’ he said.
The writer of The King’s Speech David Seidler has died aged 87, his longtime manager announced on Sunday
‘If given the chance, it is exactly as he would have scripted it.’
The King’s Speech centred on the story of King George VI (Colin Firth) overcoming his severe stutter.
His unexpected friendship with speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) in the lead up to World War II was another key theme of the film.
Growing up with a stutter himself, David previously revealed he had always wanted to write about George VI and tell his story.
The film, which David also received two BAFTAs and the Humanitas Prize for, was also always intended to be both a flick and stage play.
David dedicated his Oscar win to ‘all the stutterers around the world,’ and thanked ‘Her Majesty The Queen for not putting me in the Tower for using the F word.’
Halfway through the ceremony when The Social Network won for best editing, one of the King’s Speech team exclaimed, ‘well that’s it, we’ve lost it’.
The Academy Award winner was fly-fishing in New Zealand when he passed away on Saturday, though no cause was given
David wrote the stage and screen versions of the acclaimed play – when went on to bag Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor gongs at the Oscars
The film, which David also received two BAFTAs and the Humanitas Prize for, was also always intended to be both a flick and stage play
Colin Firth portrayed George VI in the film and joked that his career had peaked’ as he picked up his Oscar for the role.
He thanked, ‘all the people who have been routing for me back home,’ and his wife, ‘Livia, for putting up with my fleeting delusions of royalty’.
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech’s 38-year-old director, also won an award for best director.
David started researching the story back in 1981. He discovered how the Queen Mother tracked down Logue, who was working in London in the 1920s, and beseeched him to help Bertie, who froze every time he was called upon to make a speech.
Colin Firth portrayed Geogre VI in the film and joked that his career had peaked’ as he picked up his Oscar for the role
David started researching the story back in 1981 and he discovered how the Queen Mother tracked down Logue
‘I wrote and asked her permission to tell the story in a film,’ David told the Mail in 2010.
‘But it was still so raw for her – the whole business of having to relive what her husband and her family went through, with the Abdication and him becoming King.
‘It was too much, and still painful, so she wrote and asked that the film not be made until after her death.’
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