Leon Vitali, Close Stanley Kubrick Collaborator Dies at 74

Leon Vitali, one of Stanley Kubrick’s closest collaborators, died on Saturday night at the age of 74, Kubrick announced in a series of tweets Sunday.

“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him. 26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022,” Kubrick wrote.

Kubrick continues in a later post. “Whether giving the performance of his life as Lord Bullingdon, portraying the ominous Red Cloak, providing BTS technical support on FMJ and attending the Cannes Film Festival 4K release of The Shining, Leon Vitali was the heartbeat of Kubrick’s films after the master himself.”

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There are no further details about his death or the cause of his death.

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The 2017 documentary “Filmworker,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, retold the three-decade relationship between Kubrick and Vitali from which sprung some of the most vital creative decisions for the director’s most famous films. Vitali, an actor and TV veteran, met Kubrick in 1970 when he was given the role in the drama. “Barry Lyndon” as the titular character’s stepson Lord Bullingdon.

The couple bonded after postproduction. “Barry Lyndon,”Vitali quit acting when Kubrick asked him for help in the production of his 1980 film. “The Shining.”Vitali was the film’s casting director and found Danny Lloyd to play Danny Torrance, the young telepathic protagonist.

It was also Vitali’s decision to make the infamous girls that Danny encounters in the Overlook hotel twin sisters. While Kubrick’s script did not call for the girls to be twins, Vitali cast Lisa and Louise Burns after the real-life twins auditioned for the role.

Vitali also served as assistant and casting director on Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket”In 1987 “Eyes Wide Shut”1999. Vitali was the one who convinced Kubrick not to cast R. Lee Ermey in the role of the vicious drill instructor. “Full Metal Jacket”Ermey used his military drill instructor experience to create an audition reel.

After Kubrick’s death, Vitali oversaw digital restoration of Kubrick’s films, receiving an award from the Cinema Audio Society for his work.

“Leon was a special and lovely man driven by his curiosity, who spread love and warmth wherever he went,”His children made the statement. “He will be remembered with love and be hugely missed by the many people he touched.”

“There are people we meet who have a profound impact upon our lives. Leon Vitali was one such person in mine,”Tweet “Full Metal Jacket” star Matthew Modine. “An artist in every aspect of his life. A loving father & friend to so many. A kind, generous & forgiving nature. He exemplified & personified grace.”

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