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'Dallas Buyers Club', 'Big Little Lies' director Jean-Marc Vallée dies aged 58

Jean-Marc Vallee has died at the age of 58. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Jean-Marc Vallée has died at the age of 58. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Jean-Marc Vallée, the director of acclaimed works such as film Dallas Buyers Club and TV show Big Little Lies, has died at the age of 58.

A representative of the filmmaker said he had passed away suddenly in his cabin outside Quebec City, Canada at the weekend.

Vallée, who hailed from Quebec, was noted for his naturalistic approach directing.

Watch: Jean-Marc Vallée discusses Dallas Buyers Club with Matthew McConaughey in 2013

He directed Emily Blunt in 2009’s The Young Victoria which was based on the early life of Queen Victoria.

Later on in his career, 2013 picture Dallas Buyers Club received six Academy Awards nominations with Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto winning for Best Actor and Supporting Actor respectively while the movie had also been nominated in the Best Picture category.

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Oscar nominations in the acting categories also came for Wild stars Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern after Vallée directed them in the 2014 film.

Working once again with Witherspoon and Dern, he directed the first series of acclaimed drama Big Little Lies and also served as an executive producer.

Jean-Marc Vallee directed Matthew McConaughey in his Oscar-winning performance. (Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Invision for Focus Features/AP Images)
Jean-Marc Vallée directed Matthew McConaughey in his Oscar-winning performance. (Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Invision for Focus Features/AP Images)

Vallée won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special for his work on the 2017 HBO hit.

A second miniseries for HBO followed in 2018 with Sharp Objects, a psychological thriller starring Amy Adams.

Tributes were paid by friends and colleagues upon news of Vallée’s death including one from Dallas Buyers Club producer Nathan Ross, who said in a statement: “Jean-Marc stood for creativity, authenticity and trying things differently.

"He was a true artist and a generous, loving guy. Everyone who worked with him couldn’t help but see the talent and vision he possessed.

Jean-Marc Vallee won an Emmy for his work on 'Big Little Lies'. (Blossom Films)
Jean-Marc Vallée won an Emmy for his work on 'Big Little Lies'. (Blossom Films)

"He was a friend, creative partner and an older brother to me. The maestro will sorely be missed but it comforts knowing his beautiful style and impactful work he shared with the world will live on.”

Read more: Sharp Objects stars had roller skate in their audition tapes

HBO also released a statement describing Vallée as a “hugely caring man”.

“Jean-Marc Vallée was a brilliant, fiercely dedicated filmmaker, a truly phenomenal talent who infused every scene with a deeply visceral, emotional truth,” it read.

“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.”

Watch: Laura Dern raves about the Big Little Lies directors she's worked with