British film legend dies aged 77 as devastated Tom Hardy pays emotional tribute

British film icon Dick Pope has sadly died aged 77.

The legendary cinematographer was nominated for two Oscars for his work on period drama Mr Turner and 2006's The Illusionist.

His death was confirmed in a statement from the . It said: "It is with deepest sadness that we learn of the passing of our friend and colleague Dick Pope BSC.

"Dick had a reputation for being a wonderful collaborator and someone who was passionate about the art form of cinematography.

"He was keen to embrace new technologies and ideas while also ensuring the skills and crafts of those that came before him weren't lost."

Tributes have begun flooding in for the late star, with Tom Hardy amongst those mourning the loss of his "lovely friend".

In a touching tribute, the actor wrote: "Dick Pope British Cinematographer lovely friend and all round legend. Aug 1947 October 2024."

Another wrote: "RIP Dick Pope Mike Leigh's right hand man whose loose & naturalistic shooting style could also be expressionistic & haunting as in his masterpiece, Naked. Just check out his filmography & make your way through it. An awful loss for cinema."

Pope was known for his work with award-winning director Mike Leigh, with the duo collaborating together on 11 films, starting in 1990 with Life is Sweet.

Their other joint credits include Naked, Secrets & Lies, Another Year, Peterloo and Vera Drake. Of their collaborations, Pope said in 2019: "I've always described it as a bit of a magical mystery tour, because you don't really know what you're getting into."

When asked about their relationship the same year, Leigh said: "The thing about working with the same cinematographer over a long stretch ... A violinist who owns a Stradivarius is not going to arbitrarily use another fiddle. That is the tool and you can play anything with it. So that's how I feel."

Pope's other credits include the 2000 action thriller, The Way of the Gun, 2008's period drama Me and Orson Welles and Motherless Brooklyn, released in 2019.

The cinematographer's final credit is on Leigh's new film, Hard Truths, which premiered at this year's Toronto film festival in September.

Leigh, 81, revealed that Pope had undergone "major heart surgery" before production. Pope is survived by his wife Pat.