Anthony Minghella, the British-born director who received an Academy Award for Best Director for 1996’s “The English Patient,” has died at 54.

Anthony Minghella’s death was confirmed Tuesday by his agent, Judy Daish. No other details were immediately available. Minghella was only 54.

BBC News reports film producer and friend Lord Puttnam said the industry would be “very shocked” to lose their “very well-loved” colleague.

“He said in a lecture last week that he saw himself as a writer who happened to direct, which I think was probably right,” he told BBC News. “He started as a writer, he was not a stylist as a director. He saw himself as a storyteller and his films were very well told, beautifully made and beautifully acted,” the bereaved man added.

Minghella was on January 6, 1954, on the Isle of Wight; he began his career as a writer of theater plays. He wrote and directed 1990’s “Truly, Madly, Deeply,” starring Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman. The film was successful both with critics and moviegoers and earned Minghella a BAFTA award for best original screenplay.

“The English Patient,” Minghella’s adaptation of the Michael Ondaatje novel of the same name, brought Minghella Academy Awards for directing and best adapted screenplay. The film received another seven trophies, including best picture and best supporting actress for Juliette Binoche.

Minghella was nominated for the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay for 1999’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” and 2003’s “Cold Mountain.” Renee Zellweger won the best supporting actress Oscar for the film.

He was an executive producer on last year’s Academy Award-nominated drama “Michael Clayton.”

At the time of his death, he had completed work on the adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency,” starring Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe. He co-wrote the script with Richard Curtis. The pilot is due to be broadcast by the BBC.

Minghella directed his first opera in 2005, an English National Opera production of “Madama Butterfly,” at the company's Coliseum home, in London.

He was chairman of the British Film Institute from 2003 to 2007.