David Leland, ‘Wish You Were Here,’ ‘Band of Brothers’ and ‘Concert for George’ Filmmaker, Dies at 82
variety.comNaman Ramachandran David Leland, the British writer, director and actor whose credits include “Wish You Were Here,” “The Borgias” and more, died on Dec.
24, according to his agents Casarotto Ramsay & Associates. He was 82. A cause of death was not revealed. Leland cut his teeth in theater, where he directed the world premiere of Michael Palin and Terry Jones’ “Their Finest Hours” and gave Pierce Brosnan his first opportunity to act on stage in the British premiere of Tennessee Williams’ “The Red Devil Battery Sign.” A distinguished film and TV screenwriting career followed, including “Made in Britain” (1982) directed by Alan Clarke and starring Tim Roth; “Birth of a Nation” (1983) by Mike Newell; and Neil Jordan’s Oscar, Golden Globe and WGA-nominated “Mona Lisa” (1986), featuring a BAFTA-winning performance by Bob Hoskins.
Leland made his directorial debut with “Wish You Were Here” (1987), which won him the BAFTA for best original screenplay, and the film also won the Fipresci prize at Cannes.
His film credits also include “The Big Man” (1990) starring Liam Neeson, and “Land Girls” (1998) starring Rachel Weisz. A close friend of George Harrison, Leland directed “Checking Out” (1988), starring Jeff Daniels, which Harrison produced through HandMade Films, and several Traveling Wilburys music videos.
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