Milos Forman, best known as the director of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, has passed away at the age of 86 this past Friday night, as confirmed by his agent, Dennis Aspland.
What happened?
According to The New York Times, Forman, whose birth name was Jan Tomas Forman, passed away in Connecticut, noting that he had been a native of the Czech Republic.
Forman got his start as a director in his native former Czechoslovakia, becoming a prominent figure of the Czechoslovak New Wave and some of his best-known films from this period include Loves of a Blonde and The Fireman’s Ball. In 1968, he left Europe for the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1977. While in the States, some of his most famous films would include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Hair and Amadeus; the former film won Oscars in five categories: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
On Twitter, director Edgar Wright issued the following statement of condolences:
“Very sad to hear that the great director Miloš Forman has passed away. He had a tremendous filmography that documented the rebel heart and human spirit. I have seen ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ enough times to be able to silently mouth along with the movie. RIP.”
Writer and director James Mangold also issued similar sentiments on Twitter:
“Crushed tonight to learn of the passing of one of the great teachers in my life, Milos Foreman. He leaves behind a beautiful and moving and artistically daring collection of films and also many other students touched by his generosity, charm and brilliance. RIP.”
What is Milos Forman’s official cause of death?
At this time, an official cause of death for Milos Forman does not appear to have been released. As mentioned, he was 86 at the time of his passing, which took place in Connecticut.
As this story is developing, more information will be updated as made available.