Alvin Rakoff, the Emmy-winning Canadian filmmaker who directed Sir Laurence Olivier in the 1982 drama "A Voyage Round My Father" and helped kick-start the careers of stars including Sean Connery and Alan Rickman, has died at the age of 97.
The Toronto native died peacefully Saturday while surrounded by family in his London home, his longtime publicist Nick Pourgourides said, citing "old age" as the cause of death.
Pourgourides said by email he last saw Rakoff in September, and while his body was failing him, "his mind was still as sharp as an arrow."
"Alvin was a storyteller and was continuing to think up new ideas for projects all the way until the very end. He was a sweet, kind, thoughtful and, above all else, a brilliant talent, the likes of which we will never see again."
Rakoff's career spanned more than four decades and he has credits in more than 100 TV, film and stage productions.
He got his start as a writer for the CBC before being accepted into the BBC's directors' training course and going on to helm a series of acclaimed TV dramas.
Rakoff gave a then-unknown Connery his first leading role in the 1957 teleplay "Requiem for a Heavyweight," which also featured a young Michael Caine as an extra. He would go on to recommend Connery for the role of James Bond when Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, producer of 1962's "Dr. No," asked the director for his opinion.
The filmmaker also cast a young Rickman in his first major role in 1978's BBC production of "Romeo & Juliet."
Rakoff won Emmy awards for the 1967 drama "Call Me Daddy" starring Donald Pleasance and Judy Cornwell, and “A Voyage Round My Father,” which he helmed and produced.
His titles also include 1970 drama "Hoffman," 1979 action film "City on Fire" and 1981 comedy "Dirty Tricks."
Over the course of his career, Rakoff worked with stars including Peter Sellers, Judi Dench, Henry Fonda, Ava Gardner, Elliott Gould and Richard Harris, among many others.
“I have such wonderful memories of Alvin — both being directed by him and seeing him at The Mill. A very endearing person," Dench said in a statement shared by Pourgourides.
British actor Stephen Fry called Rakoff "a giant of film, theatre and TV."
"His Midas touch with spotting and fostering talent introduced the world to some of the last century’s greatest stars," he said.
"Typically, he was working on a screenplay right up to the last."
Rakoff is survived by his wife of 30 years, Sally Hughes, and two children from his first marriage to the late Jacqueline Hill: Sasha Rakoff and film producer John Rakoff.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
