From ABC News:
British actor Bob Hoskins, whose career ranged from noir drama "Mona Lisa" to animated fantasy "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" has died aged 71.
A family statement released Wednesday said
Hoskins died in a hospital after a bout of pneumonia. He had been
diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2012.
A versatile character actor capable of menace, quiet poignancy and
Cockney charm, Hoskins appeared in some of the most acclaimed British
films of the past few decades, including gangster classic "The Long Good
Friday." His Hollywood roles included "Mermaids" and "Hook."
His movie breakthrough came in 1980 thriller "The Long Good Friday,"
playing an East End gangster hoping to profit from redevelopment of
London's docks. It contained one of his most memorable speeches, a
Cockney-accented dismissal of American culture: "What I'm looking for is
someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world:
culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than an 'ot dog, know
what I mean?"
The film, which also featured Helen Mirren and a young Pierce Brosnan,
is ranked 21 in the British Film Institute's list of the top 100 British
films of the 20th century.
Hoskins specialized in tough guys with a soft center, including the
ex-con who chaperones Cathy Tyson's escort in Neil Jordan's 1986 film
"Mona Lisa." Hoskins was nominated for a best-actor Academy Award for
the role.
His best-remembered Hollywood role was as a detective investigating
cartoon crime in 1988 hit "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," one of the first
major movies to meld animation and live action.
One of my all time favorite actors and much too young. We first saw him in Flickers on masterpiece theater. It's very well done and funny history of very early film making. Rent it from NetFlix for a real treat. The Long Good Friday ranks with The Godfather and Good Fellas as the best of the gangster genre. Plus it features a young Helen Mirren. Very well worth watching.
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