Magnificent playwright Tom Stoppard has died in London at age 88.
A statement from United Agents said: “We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved client and friend, Tom Stoppard, has died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family. “He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language. It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him.”
Stoppard won the Oscar in 1999 for co-writing “Shakespeare in Love.”
But it’s his enormous list of plays that are his legacy.
In 2023, he capped his career off with the amazing “Leopoldstadt,” which won the Tony for Best Play and resonates right up to this very minute.
Stoppard won six other Tony’s for Best Play including “The Real Thing,” “Rosencranz and Guildenstern are Dead,” “Travesties,” and the three parts of “The Coast of Utopia.”
Some of his other highly acclaimed titles include “Arcadia,” “Jumpers,” and “Rock N Roll.”
Born in Czechoslovakia, Stoppard was prolific. Among his movies were “Empire of the Sun,” and “Brazil.”
Just a note on “Leopoldstadt”: Stoppard revealed that in his 50s he learned he was Jewish. His parents fled the Nazis in 1937, his father died, and his mother never discussed their past. The play was and is explosive in its exploration of this denial.
Tributes and interviews below:
Tom Stoppard was my favourite playwright. He leaves us with a majestic body of intellectual and amusing work. I will always miss him. pic.twitter.com/c9c2Y3ohZn
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) November 29, 2025
