Playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard has died at 88(Image: AFP)

Tom Stoppard dead: Shakespeare In Love writer and Oscar winner dies at the age of 88

Iconic screenwriter Tom Stoppard has passed away at the age of 88. The screenwriter scooped an Oscar for his 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, starring Gqyneth Paltrow

by · The Mirror

The British playwright Tom Stoppard has died at the age of 88, his agent has confirmed. The Czech-born star, who was knighted in 1997, passed away at home, "surrounded by family."

The writer, was best known for writing the iconic 1998 film Shakespeare In Love, for which he won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar. The film, which starred Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, made over £218 million at the box office.

Sir Tom was also known for penning the critically acclaimed play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and the HBO limited series Parade's End in 2013.

Sir Tom wrote Shakespeare in Love which starred Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes( Image: Miramax)

News of his passing was announced by his agency, United Agents, on Saturday. A statement revealed: "We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved client and friend, Tom Stoppard, has died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family.

"He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language. It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him."

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