Director Joe Wright reflects on Intimate Friendship with Playwright tom Stoppard
LONDON – Filmmaker Joe Wright has shared a poignant reflection on his relationship with the late playwright Tom Stoppard, revealing a connection built on mutual respect, playful teasing, and a shared gratitude for life’s simple pleasures.The director,known for films like Anna Karenina and Atonement,described a bond with Stoppard that transcended age and background,offering a glimpse into the celebrated writer’s character beyond his intellectual brilliance.
wright recounted a relationship that began during a period of personal upheaval, finding in Stoppard a non-judgmental presence and a subtle, guiding influence. “My relationship with Tom was easy and clean, with no baggage and no terrible mistakes,” Wright explained.He noted his own father’s early death and admitted to subconsciously seeking a paternal figure in Stoppard,a need the playwright gently deflected,offering instead insightful anecdotes from his own life.
The director fondly remembered their playful dynamic, marked by Wright’s lighthearted ribbing about Stoppard’s knighthood and his seemingly affected Czech accent – Stoppard having left czechoslovakia as a child. “I remember how the porter in his apartment block called him Sir Tom – and Tom didn’t tell him not to,” Wright recalled. “I also asked why he had a Czech accent given that he left the country aged two. ’How come you still talk with this sexy eastern European voice? I think you’re putting it on.’ He would chuckle at that. There was a mischief about him.”
Wright also highlighted Stoppard’s intellectual curiosity and his ability to empower those around him. “as someone who had left school at 16 with no qualifications, I was really inspired that a person as smart as Tom hadn’t been to Oxbridge,” Wright said. “He never stopped learning. Everything was of interest to him and every person he met was a teacher in some way.” He emphasized Stoppard’s unique gift for making others feel intellectually enlarged through his attentive listening and gentle encouragement.
Ultimately, wright described Stoppard as “a really gorgeous human being who liked being loved,” adding simply, “And I loved him.” The director’s tribute offers a personal and intimate portrait of a literary giant, revealing a man who found joy in connection, conversation, and the sweetness of life - “He loved sweets, smoking, words and women – in the reverse order,” Wright observed.
