MIKE LEIGH - PRODUCER CHANNING-WILLIAMS DEAD

PRODUCER CHANNING-WILLIAMS DEAD

British director MIKE LEIGH has paid tribute to film producer SIMON CHANNING-WILLIAMS, who died at the weekend (11-12Apr09).
Channing-Williams passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 64.
He had worked closely with Leigh in his lengthy career, with the pair making eight movies together, including Secrets and Lies, and Vera Drake.
And Leigh has given an emotional statement about his close friend, insisting the producer will be "universally" missed.
Leigh says, "He battled cancer very bravely for nearly five years. His great phrase was 'let's just get on with things' and right almost to the last he was still working. He was a very extraordinary big man and he will be missed universally."