Hollywood mourns loss of M*A*S*H director Altman

ROBERT ALTMAN, the acclaimed director of M*A*S*H, Short Cuts and Gosford Park, has died, aged 81.

Actor and Old Vic artistic director Kevin Spacey led the tributes. Altman made his London theatre debut at the Old Vic in February with Resurrection Blues.

Spacey said: “Robert Altman was a truly unique director and an extraordinary man and we were privileged to work with him at The Old Vic.

“We are all saddened by this news and send our condolences to his wife Kathryn and family.”

Altman received an honorary Academy Award in March to honour a career that “reinvented the art form and inspired film-makers and audiences alike”.

He was nominated for five directing Oscars — for M*A*S*H, Nashville, The Player, Short Cuts and Gosford Park — plus two producer nominations for Nashville and Gosford Park, but he never won.

His last film was A Prairie Home Companion, starring Meryl Streep and Lindsay Lohan, which was released in the US five months ago.

The director surprised the audience at the Oscars by revealing he underwent a heart transplant a decade ago. He admitted keeping it secret “because maybe no one would hire me again” if the news was out.

He said in his acceptance speech: “Ten years ago, 11 years ago, I had a heart transplant. A total heart transplant. I got the heart of, I think, a young woman who was about her late 30s. And so by that kind of calculation, you may be giving me this award too early. Because I think I’ve got about 40 years left on it, and I intend to use it.”

Reflecting on his award, Altman said: “I look at it as a nod to all of my films because, to me, I’ve just made one long film.”