{"id":52302,"date":"2022-08-21T22:42:03","date_gmt":"2022-08-21T22:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/leon-vitali-stanley-kubricks-right-hand-man-dies-at-74\/"},"modified":"2022-08-21T22:42:03","modified_gmt":"2022-08-21T22:42:03","slug":"leon-vitali-stanley-kubricks-right-hand-man-dies-at-74","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/leon-vitali-stanley-kubricks-right-hand-man-dies-at-74\/","title":{"rendered":"Leon Vitali, Stanley Kubrick’s Right-Hand Man, Dies At 74"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

Leon Vitali, the \u201cBarry Lyndon\u201d actor who became one of Stanley Kubrick’s closest associates, has died. He was 74.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Vitali died Friday in Los Angeles, his family told The Associated Press Sunday. He passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones including his three children, Masha, Max and Vera.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cLeon was a special and lovely man driven by his curiosity, who spread love and warmth wherever he went,\u201d his children said in a statement provided by Masha Vitali. \u201cHe will be remembered with love and be hugely missed by the many people he touched.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Though Vitali was often described as Kubrick’s assistant, Tony Zierra’s 2017 documentary \u201c Filmworker \u201d shed light on Vitali’s enormous and largely unsung contributions to the work of one of cinema’s greatest figures from \u201cThe Shining\u201d through \u201cEyes Wide Shut.\u201d He did everything from casting and coaching actors to overseeing restorations. Vitali even once set up a video monitor so that Kubrick could keep an eye on his dying cat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Matthew Modine, who starred in Kubrick’s \u201cFull Metal Jacket,\u201d tweeted his condolences Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThere are people we meet who have a profound impact upon our lives. Leon Vitali was one such person in mine,\u201d Modine wrote. \u201cAn artist in every aspect of his life. A loving father & friend to so many. A kind, generous & giving nature. He exemplified & personified grace.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Filmmaker Lee Unkrich also tweeted that he was, \u201cCompletely heartbroken to hear about the passing of Leon Vitali. He helped me (asterisk)enormously(asterisk) with my Shining book and I’m gutted that he won’t see it. He was a sweet, kind, humble, generous man and a vital part of Stanley Kubrick’s team.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Before meeting Kubrick, Vitali was a rising actor in England, appearing in several British television shows including \u201cSoftly, Softly,\u201d \u201cFollyfoot,\u201d \u201cZ Cars\u201d and \u201cNotorious Woman.\u201d Then in 1974 he got his biggest break yet, when he was cast in \u201cBarry Lyndon\u201d as Lord Bullingdon, the son-in-law of Ryan O’Neal’s title character.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Vitali was so fascinated by Kubrick and his processes that he made an unusual decision: He gave up on acting and devoted himself entirely to the famously demanding director for over two decades. His next Kubrick credit was as \u201cpersonal assistant to the director\u201d on \u201cThe Shining,\u201d though that’s only part of the story \u2014 Vitali famously helped cast 4-year-old Danny Lloyd to play Danny Torrance and Louise and Lisa Burns as the creepy Grady twins (citing Diane Arbus as inspiration).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI made one truly, truly radical change in my life and that was when I said, ‘I’m more interested in acting that’ than I was in the acting,\u201d Vitali told the Associated Press in 2017. \u201cThat’s the biggest conscious decision I’ve ever made. There were some sacrifices, but there were gains too.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

After Kubrick’s death in 1999, Vitali oversaw restorations for many of Kubrick’s films. He received a Cinema Audio Society award for his work. Vitali later worked with director Todd Field on his films \u201cLittle Children\u201d and \u201cIn the Bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Before making the documentary, Zierra said that he and many Kubrick-obsessed fans knew Vitali for his performances in \u201cBarry Lyndon\u201d and \u201cEyes Wide Shut,\u201d in which he played Red Cloak, and as a key member of Kubrick’s inner circle. But when they finally met Vitali to make the movie, they were struck by \u201chis kindness, humility and the fascinating scope of his story.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Zierra is working on a director’s cut of \u201cFilmworker\u201d that will include new footage that he and Vitali wanted in the film, but couldn’t get done in time for its Cannes debut in 2017.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n