Oscar-winning Chilean director Sebastián Lelio, who worked with high-profile stars such as Florence Pugh and Rachel McAdams, has passed away.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The 52-year-old director of A Fantastic Woman was found dead in his home in Santiago on Nov. 6, according to Deadline, citing local media reports. Lelio's partner, actress Amalia Kassai, confirmed the sad news in a social media post. Though a cause of death wasn't provided, Kassai noted Lelio suffered "health complications."
"With great sadness, we announce the death, following health complications, of Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio," Kassai wrote in Spanish on Instagram. "We are going through a time of profound grief, and his memory will remain with us forever. He was a wonderful person who made significant contributions to Chilean culture at important moments in its history. As a family, we ask for privacy and consideration during these difficult times."
At the time of his death, Lelio had two high-profile projects in the works. The director was currently filming an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra's novel Chilean Poet. He was also developing a biopic of Carl Sagan, Voyagers, set to star Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
His 2017 film, A Fantastic Woman, which starred Daniela Vega as a trans woman dealing with the death of her boyfriend, won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018. It was Chile's first win in the category.
Sebastián Lelio Directed Projects Starring Actors Like Rachel Weisz, Julianne Moore, and John Turturro
A native of Argentina, Lelio moved to Chile at age two. After studying film at Santiago's Escuela de Cine de Chile, he directed several short films. He made his directorial debut with The Sacred Family in 2005. Christmas, his second film, premiered at Cannes in 2009, with his third film, The Year of the Tiger, dropping in 2011.
The director's next film, 2013's Gloria, about a woman in her 50s re-entering the dating scene, earned critical acclaim, winning the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival.
After A Fantastic Woman was met with international success in 2018, Lelio took on his first English-language project, Disobedience, which starred Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. In 2019, he directed an English-language remake of Gloria, titled Gloria Bell, headlined by Julianne Moore and John Turturro.
Lelio's last English-language film was 2022's The Wonder, starring Florence Pugh and Tom Burke. The director's final completed film was 2025's The Wave, which premiered at that year's Cannes Film Festival.
