Actor, Leon Vitali who was best known for collaborating with acclaimed Oscar-winning director Stanley Kubrick has passed on. Vitali’s death was announced via the verified Twitter account that manages Kubrick’s media presence. Vitali was 74 years old at the time of his death.
The tweet revealed that Vitali passed away peacefully on the night of 20th August. However, his cause of death was not revealed. “It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night,” the tweet read. “Our thoughts are with his family and all that knew and loved him,” the announcement concluded. Vitali entered into unofficial retirement in 2018 following the release of Filmworker, a documentary film directed by Tony Zierra that chronicled his career as an actor who would eventually give up acting to instead focus on working behind the scenes with Kubrick. He had become somewhat inactive before that time with his last acting credit coming in the role of Apothecary in Rome & Juliet, Carlo Carlei‘s 2013 adaptation of the popular Williams Shakespeare story.
Famed for his painstaking approach to each and every project he worked on, Kubrick was an eccentric whizz at the art of filmmaking with his works credited with breaking new grounds in the industry. Kubrick would come to find an invaluable wingman in Vitali when the duo first cross paths during the making of the 1975 period drama, Barry London. Vitali played the role of Lord Bullingdon in what was his third acting credit. During filming, Vitali became enamored by Kubrick’s inventive filmmaking methods so much so that he offered to give up pursuing his acting career to instead work for free under Kubrick in order to learn from him. The admiration was mutual and both struck an off-screen bromance that lasted for the rest of Kubrick’s life.
Their first major work after Barry London was the 1980 psychological horror film, The Shining. Ahead of work on the production, Kubrick sent Vitali a copy of the Stephen King book from which the movie is adapted inviting him to work with him on the film. Starring Jack Nicholson, The Shining, despite initially receiving negative reactions would come to be widely regarded as one of the best horror films ever made. Safe to say Kubrick and Vitali were ahead of their time. For the film, Vitali was credited as “personal assistant to director.” Vitali would then collaborate with Kubrick on Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut where he also acted in the role of Red Cloak. The latter which starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman became Kubrick’s final film before his death in March 1999 at 70 years old.
Vitali remained loyal to Kubrick even in death, helping to restore many of the late director’s works. Beyond his work with Kubrick, Vitali also collaborated with filmmaker Todd Field in In the Bedroom (2001), and Little Children (2006). Fresh out of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Vitali, a native of Warwickshire, England began his career by taking bit parts in a number of British TV programs including Softly, Softly, Follyfoot, and Roads to Freedom.
Leon Vitali is survived by his wife, Kersti whom he met on the set of Calvin Floyd‘s Terror of Frankenstein, and 3 children including actress Vera Vitali and videographer Max Vitali. His daughter, Masha Vitali whom he had from a previous marriage is a movie producer. Our heartfelt condolences go to Vitali’s family and friends.
