Renowned British playwright and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Tom Stoppard has died at the age of 88.

His family confirmed his passing on Friday, marking the end of a remarkable six-decade career that reshaped modern theatre and contributed significantly to film and literature.

Tomáš Sträussler, also known as Stoppard, was born in 1937 in what is now the Czech Republic. His family fled Nazi persecution when he was a child, eventually settling in Britain, where he later became one of the most influential dramatists of his generation.

He gained global recognition with ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ (1966), the play that launched him as a leading voice in post-war theatre.

His plays, admired for their clever language, rich ideas, and emotional resonance, include more than 30 titles such as Arcadia, The Real Thing, Travesties, and Leopoldstadt. Leopoldstadt, released in 2020 during the later days of his life, explores the history of Jewish families in Vienna and was inspired by Stoppard’s own family background.

Beyond the stage, Stoppard also made his mark on cinema. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love, a film celebrated for its wit, emotional resonance, and inventive storytelling.

However, tributes have poured in from across the arts community, praising Stoppard’s unmatched command of language and his ability to blend humour with deep human insights.

Colleagues, actors, and cultural institutions have described him as a towering figure whose contributions will continue to shape theatre and film for generations.