by Conan Simmons – September 9, 2020 – 4:30 am
Playwright, author, screenwriter and novelist Sir Ronald Harwood passed away yesterday (September 8) in the United Kingdom aged 85.
Born in Cape Town, South Africa on November 9, 1934 he began his screen career as an actor on British television in the 1950’s. He became a screenwriter in the early 1960’s going on to pen many classic films mostly in the drama and biopic genres.
He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for 2002’s ‘The Pianist’. Nominated on two other occasions for 1983’s ‘The Dresser’ and 2007’s ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ for which he won the BAFTA.
His other screenwriting credits include ‘The Browning Version’ in 1994, the Hugh Jackman Nicole Kidman pairing ‘Australia’ in 2008 and a 1981 tv movie starring Fay Dunaway as ‘Evita Peron’.
In 1999 he was awarded the C.B.E. for his services in literature and in 2010 he was awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to drama.
He also wrote a book about screenwriting in 2007 entitled “Ronald Harwood’s Adaptations”.