Acclaimed director Jean-Marc Vallée, who recently adapted Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies for HBO, passed away on Sunday. He was 58. As of this writing, his cause of death is unknown. After taking the reins on Dallas Buyers Club, Vallée became a go-to signature force after delivering Oscar wins for both stars Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. After collaborating with Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern for Wild, Vallée brought the two actresses back together for the all-star cast of HBO’s Big Little Lies, which also included Nicole Kidman, Zoë Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley. He later delivered Sharp Objects, starring Amy Adams, to the network, and the two series have been routinely praised for redefining prestige television dramas.
Via Deadline:
“Jean-Marc Vallée was a brilliant, fiercely dedicated filmmaker, a truly phenomenal talent who infused every scene with a deeply visceral, emotional truth,” HBO said in a statement. “He was also a hugely caring man who invested his whole self alongside every actor he directed. We are shocked at the news of his sudden death, and we extend our heartfelt sympathies to his sons, Alex and Émile, his extended family, and his longtime producing partner, Nathan Ross.”
Following the news of Vallée’s death, the tributes from colleagues and critics began pouring in on social media where the director was praised for his distinctive film and television projects:
Jean-Marc Vallée was an incredible talent and treasured collaborator to @blumhouse on “Sharp Objects.” His family and friends are in our thoughts today.
— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) December 27, 2021
My god, this is so unbelievably sad. What a huge loss. He was an incredibly talented filmmaker. Sending much love and condolences to his family. #RIPJeanMarc https://t.co/a511cPKLz6
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) December 27, 2021
This is shocking, wow. https://t.co/DdWIPRRjg0
— Taffy Brodesser-Akner (@taffyakner) December 27, 2021
Jean-Marc Vallée, director of C.R.A.Z.Y., Dallas Buyers Club and Sharp Objects, has passed away at 58.
Gone too soon. 🖤 pic.twitter.com/HQ8t6lZU8i
— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) December 27, 2021
How awful. Such an interesting career, weaving all over the mainstream-to-arthouse spectrum: I’d have guessed it had several more turns in it still. RIP. https://t.co/8dbgkW6Uq0
— Guy Lodge (@GuyLodge) December 27, 2021
Can’t believe it. Jean-Marc Vallée was a prodigious talent, and the only filmmaker to both open (DEMOLITION) and close (THE YOUNG VICTORIA) the Toronto International Film Festival. I’ll miss his fire. https://t.co/MCrHJQJvGg
— Cameron Bailey (@cameron_tiff) December 27, 2021
Even if you’ve never heard of Jean-Marc Vallee, you’ve almost certainly seen his TV directing work on “Big Little Lies” & “Sharp Objects” or his movies like “Dallas Buyers Club” & “Wild.”
He had such a unique visual and narrative style. Such an immense talent gone too soon. RIP pic.twitter.com/gQhEYCeT4k
— Joshua Axelrod (@jaxelburgh) December 27, 2021
sharp objects changed my fucking life and without it i would not have been able to heal my childhood wounds. jean-marc vallée was one of the most sympathetic and genuine storytellers in modern television and film. an inspiration to an aspiring canadian filmmaker. i’m devastated
— kaiya (@kaiyashunyata) December 27, 2021
I don’t know if too many remembrances of Jean-Marc Vallée are going to mention C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005), but I highly recommend it. A great coming-of-age film I remember really liking when I discovered it long before he blew up. What a huge loss. pic.twitter.com/1ibgSbP1uX
— Josh Parham (@JRParham) December 27, 2021
https://twitter.com/aherman2006/status/1475330889911390210
Saddened to hear about Jean-Marc Vallée. In one of our interviews he wore a rubber mask to make a point about directors masking their own personalities in support of the material. He was an entertainer who knew how to use striking images to tell his stories. #RestInPower pic.twitter.com/e6AgANuL8o
— Richard Crouse (@RichardCrouse) December 27, 2021
Jean-Marc Vallée made this masterpiece (and many more) and he is no more. How I hope that was a big little lie :( pic.twitter.com/YeMLjw7ZaX
— Sumukhi Suresh (@sumukhisuresh) December 27, 2021
