David Leland is an English film director, screenwriter and actor who came to international fame with his directorial debut Wish You Were Here in 1987.
Life
He initially trained as an actor at Central School of Speech and Drama. In 1963 he was part of the breakaway group of Central staff and students who formed Drama Centre London. After several small parts as actor he began his collaboration with British television director Alan Clarke in 1981. Their film Made in Britain was critically acclaimed and marked the beginning of the career of actor Tim Roth. Made in Britain won the Prix Italia in 1984. In 1986 he wrote the screenplay for the thriller-drama Mona Lisa, featuring Bob Hoskins. This film was critically acclaimed and Leland earned nominations for the Golden Globe and the Writers Guild of America. He then wrote Personal Services in 1986. It was directed by Terry Jones and was about Cynthia Payne, a real-life British madam who ran a private brothel. Julie Walters took the leading role. While Personal Services dealt with the adult life of Cynthia Payne, Leland's next film, Wish You Were Here, concerned her teenage years. This film was a success at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival and it made the young British actressEmily Lloyd a star. It was awarded the FIPRESCI-Award at Cannes and the BAFTA for best screenplay. In 1991, Leland directed the very successful stage musical A Tribute to the Blues Brothers, which played on the West End and then toured for ten years in the UK and Australia. Leland's next two films, Checking Out and The Big Man, failed at the box office and with the critics but have since been successful in the private market. In 1997, Leland co-wrote and directed The Land Girls starring Rachel Weisz and Anna Friel and, in 2000, wrote and directed Episode 6 of the enormously successful HBO Miniseries Band of Brothers. In 2012, Leland joined the Showtime series The Borgias as co-showrunner and executive producer, writing the last five episodes of its second season and directing its last two episodes. He described his stint as co-showrunner and executive producer as a "hands-on" experience and having to commit to extensive research on the Renaissance. After the death of his friend George Harrison, Leland was closely involved in the former Beatle's memorial, Concert for George, and directed a cinematic documentary of the night to be put on general release, the DVD of which went platinum. The documentary also won a Grammy Award. His latest project is the Dino De Laurentiis produced Virgin Territory, which is scheduled for a theatrical release in September 2007. David Leland is married to Sabrina Canale and has five children from his previous marriage: Chloë, Abigail, Rosie, Jacob, and Grace.
