BAFTA-winning British filmmaker John Irvin, best known for directing the TV series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and action classics such as Hamburger Hill and Raw Deal, died on Tuesday at the age of 86. His producer, Claire Evans, confirmed the news, saying he died peacefully at the UK home of his sister-in-law, surrounded by his family. No cause of death was given.
Career Highlights and Tributes
Irvin's career was marked by diversity and versatility. In 2021, Roel Haanen said of him: "Not many filmmakers directed both Fred Astaire and Patrick Swayze. Or followed up a tender, thoughtful film written by Harold Pinter with an Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick. But John did …"
He made more than 30 features in a career that spanned TV, documentaries, and independent film. His most famous work was the TV adaptation of John le Carré's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, starring Alec Guinness as the spy George Smiley. Guinness later wrote that Irvin was "a director with balls behind the camera!"
Hollywood Success and Later Projects
Although active in the business since the early 1960s, it was that show which opened the door to Hollywood. He went on to direct 1980's The Dogs of War starring Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger; the 1981 horror film Ghost Story starring Fred Astaire and Douglas Fairbanks Jr; 1984's Champions starring John Hurt; 1987's Hamburger Hill starring Don Cheadle and Dylan McDermott; and 1989's Next of Kin starring Patrick Swayze and Liam Neeson, among others.
He was working right up until his death, completing a final edit of Mandela’s Gun, a film he began researching in 2008. He was also in the process of directing a feature documentary, Water From an Ancient Well, about his friend, the acclaimed South African musician Abdullah Ibrahim.
Fans and Colleagues Pay Tribute
As news spread, tributes poured in. Cinematographer Thomas Burstyn wrote on Facebook: "Saddened to learn that my friend and colleague John Irvin has passed. John had an energy surpassed by few and a deep passion for cinema. I am proud of the four films we made together...John brought out the very best in us all. Travel well into what lies ahead, John. You shall be missed and may your memory be a blessing."
Fans also shared their condolences. One wrote: "Ghost story was a good, spooky movie. Tinker, Tailor soldier, Spy was an amazing series, very well directed by John Irvin." Another said: "Irvin really is underrated. He also directed Ghost Story, and the highly regarded WWII cable film, When Trumpets Fade." A fourth commented: "Thought Hamburger Hill was an underrated Vietnam war film. Also really liked his film, The Dogs of War." A fifth simply said: "Rest In Peace. He was a talented director. I really enjoyed Widows' Peak."
