Mark Peploe obit

Mark Peploe: The Last Emperor Scriptwriter Dies at 82

 

He was not on the list.

Mark Peploe, the Oscar-winning screenwriter celebrated for his collaborations with Michelangelo Antonioni and Bernardo Bertolucci, has passed away at the age of 82. His family confirms that Peploe died in Florence, Italy, following a prolonged illness.

Peploe gained prominence through his screenplays for acclaimed European directors, including Antonioni and Bertolucci. His work on the 1975 film *The Passenger*, directed by Antonioni and starring Jack Nicholson, is considered a cinematic masterpiece.

What We Know So Far

Mark Peploe died at 82 in Florence, Italy.

He was an Oscar-winning screenwriter.

he collaborated with Michelangelo Antonioni and Bernardo Bertolucci.

His notable work includes *The Passenger* and *the Last Emperor*.

Jeremy Thomas, the producer of *the Last Emperor*, remarked, “Mark was a Renaissance man, a brilliant writer of screenplays, and also an artist. He had a particular gift of a cultivation of the past which informed him as a writer.”

Born in Nairobi in 1943, Peploe came from an artistic background. His paternal grandfather was the Scottish colourist SJ Peploe, and his maternal great-grandfather was the German sculptor Adolf von Hildebrand. He studied at Oxford University.

“Mark Peploe’s contribution to cinema is immeasurable,” says film historian Anna Miller. “His ability to weave complex narratives and create compelling characters made him a true visionary.”

Peploe transitioned to screenwriting after becoming “frustrated” with documentary filmmaking. He contributed to Jacques Demy’s 1972 musical *The Pied Piper* and co-wrote *The Passenger* with film theorist Peter Wollen.

Jack Nicholson in *The Passenger* (1975). Photograph: Ronald Grant

After a dispute with MGM, Jack Nicholson acquired the rights to *The Passenger*, which was re-released in the mid-2000s to considerable acclaim. Peploe’s sister, Clare Peploe, was also a filmmaker, and they collaborated on *High Season*.

In 1988, Peploe won an oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for *The Last Emperor*, which he co-wrote with Bertolucci. The film received nine Oscars. He also worked on Bertolucci’s *The Sheltering Sky* and *Little Buddha*.

Peploe directed the 1991 psychological horror *Afraid of the Dark*, starring James Fox and Fanny Ardant, which became a cult film. He also directed an adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s *Victory*, released in 1996.

Key Milestones

1975: Co-writes *The Passenger* with Michelangelo Antonioni.

1987: Writes *High Season* with his sister, Clare Peploe.

1988: Wins an Oscar for *The Last Emperor*.

1990: Works on *The Sheltering Sky*.

1991: Directs *Afraid of the Dark*.

1996: Directs *Victory*.

Peploe is survived by his partner,art historian Alina Payne. He was previously married to costume designer louise Stjernsward, with whom he had a daughter, Lola, and was later in a long-term relationship with Gina Marcou. His contributions to cinema, especially as a screenwriter, will be remembered.

Director

Victory (1996)

Victory

6.2

Director

1996

 

Afraid of the Dark (1991)

Afraid of the Dark

5.8

Director

1991

 

Samson and Delilah

5.7

Short

Director

1985

 

Writer

Victory (1996)

Victory

6.2

adaptationscreenplay

1996

 

Keanu Reeves and Alex Wiesendanger in Little Buddha (1993)

Little Buddha

6.1

screenplay

1993

 

Afraid of the Dark (1991)

Afraid of the Dark

5.8

written by

1991

 

The Sheltering Sky (1990)

The Sheltering Sky

6.7

screenplay

1990

 

Richard Vuu in The Last Emperor (1987)

The Last Emperor

7.7

screenplay

1987

 

Jacqueline Bisset and Irene Papas in High Season (1987)

High Season

5.3

Writer

1987

 

Samson and Delilah

5.7

Short

screenplay

1985

 

Sydne Rome and Maria Schneider in Wanted: Babysitter (1975)

Wanted: Babysitter

5.4

screenplay

1975

 

Jack Nicholson and Maria Schneider in The Passenger (1975)

The Passenger

7.4

original storyscreenplay

1975

 

Donovan in The Pied Piper (1972)

The Pied Piper

6.3

written by

1972

 

Thanks

Mira Sorvino, Ben Kingsley, Jay Rodan, and Fiona Shaw in The Triumph of Love (2001)

The Triumph of Love

5.8

special thanks

2001

 

Thandiwe Newton in Besieged (1998)

Besieged

6.8

special thanks

1998

 

Self

Grandmother's Footsteps (2023)

Grandmother's Footsteps

5.9

Self - Cloclo's son, screenwriter and director

2023

 

Ceremonia de clausura - 55º festival internacional de cine de San Sebastián

TV Special

Self

2007

 

Moving Pictures (1990)

Moving Pictures

6.2

TV Series

Self

1992

1 episode

 

The 60th Annual Academy Awards (1988)

The 60th Annual Academy Awards

5.7

TV Special

Self - Winner

1988

 

Acteur studio

TV Series

Self

1987

1 episode