There is always a heaviness in our hearts when we hear the news of losing someone. The year has not yet completed a quarter, and we have lost one more gem from the cinematic industry. David Seidler, the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind 2010’s The King’s Speech, passed away at the age of 86. He died on Saturday during a fly-fishing trip in New Zealand. The news of his death was confirmed by his manager, Jeff Aghassi. He said in a statement, “David was in the place he loved most in the world — New Zealand — doing what gave him the greatest peace, which was fly-fishing. If given the chance, it is exactly as he would have scripted it.”
His contribution to the film industry was commendable. Among his numerous works, he was prominently known for writing the 2010 historical drama The King’s Speech.
David Seidler’s work left an impression on the cinematic world with his writing
When David Seidler decided to make writing his profession, he first penned The Adventures of a Penny about a penny’s travel from hand to hand. At the age of 40, he entered the Hollywood industry, and his first job there was writing Tucker: The Man and His Dream for Francis Ford Coppola. Ever since his childhood, Seidler has been fascinated with the story of George VI and has wanted to write about him. With lots of struggle and determination, Seidler finally penned the screenplay for Tom Hooper’s film The King’s Speech.
The film follows the true story of King George VI (Colin Firth), who overcame his severe stutter with the help of Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). When George’s brother abdicated the throne in 1936, Logue helped the king prepare for his first wartime radio message after the start of World War II. Seilder was motivated to write this story as he could relate with King George’s life. Seilder also overcame a stutter as a child.
His script garnered top honors, such as the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay and later an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film also won Best Actor for Firth, Best Director for Tom Hooper, and Best Picture.
The film was also adapted for a stage play, and it has been translated into more than half a dozen languages and has been performed on four continents. Apart from this iconic work, his other works include multiple TV movies, including “Onassis: The Richest Man in the World” (1988), “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” (1988), “Whose Child Is This? The War for Baby Jessica” (1993), “Dancing in the Dark” (1995), “Come on, Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story” (1999) and “By Dawn’s Early Light” (2001). He also wrote episodes for such series as “Adventures of the Seaspray,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Another World,” “General Hospital,” “The Wonderful World of Disney” and “Son of the Dragon.”
