Hollywood was shocked when it was revealed yesterday that Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée had suddenly passed away. Details are still coming in but it’s expected that Vallée suffered a major heart attack. Best known for directing Dallas Buyers Club and Wild as well as HBO shows Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects, Jean-Marc Vallée was a major talent taken from us far too soon. Tributes to Jean-Marc Vallée have been pouring in from those he worked with, such as Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In her own tribute to Jean-Marc Vallée, Nicole Kidman wrote, “It’s hard to imagine someone as vital, energetic and present as Jean-Marc being gone. I’m shattered. He was at the center of my creative universe and I can’t overstate his significance to me. Jean-Marc was not only responsible for some of the most rewarding professional experiences of my career, but his friendship, kindness and love were an inspiring force I will carry with me. I will always cherish those nights filming above the crashing waves of Big Sur…it doesn’t get better than that. I am forever grateful for my time shared with this extraordinary human. Forever Jean Marc.” Jared Leto, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Dallas Buyers Club, said that Vallée was “a filmmaking force and a true artist who changed my life.“
Vallée’s last directing work was Sharp Objects, the HBO miniseries that starred Amy Adams as a reporter that returns to her hometown to cover a violent murder. His last feature film was Demolition, a drama that starred Jake Gyllenhaal as an investment banker struggling to rebuild his life after the death of his wife. He’s also known for Los Locos, C.R.A.Z.Y., The Young Victoria, and Café de Flore.