David Leland: Pierce Brosnan leads tributes to director after his death aged 82

Leland won a Bafta for best screenplay for his 1987 film Wish You Were Here - which he also directed

Film, theatre and television director and writer David Leland has died at the age of 82, his agent has confirmed.

Leland won an Emmy for an episode of TV miniseries Band of Brothers he directed and a Bafta for 1987's Wish You Were Here - perhaps his best known film.

He also nurtured the talents of Michael Palin, Victoria Wood and Terry Jones early in their careers.

James Bond star Pierce Brosnan led the tributes to Leland, saying the director "holds a mighty place in my heart".

"He gave me my break as an actor in Tennessee Williams' play The Red Devil Battery Sign," Brosnan recalled.

"I was just out of Drama Centre [London] where David was also an alumni. It was the thrill of my young lifetime to be cast as McCabe, working with David and Tennessee.

"David will forever be an essential part of my story and of all who knew and loved him."

Leland enjoyed a distinguished career in screenwriting, including the 1982 cult classic Made in Britain, which starred Tim Roth.

His other screenplay credits include Birth of a Nation, released the following year, and 1986's Mona Lisa, which starred Bob Hoskins in a Bafta-winning performance and was nominated at the Oscars and Golden Globes.

Emily Lloyd, pictured at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987, starred in Wish You Were Here

But it was his directorial debut which provided his breakthrough. Wish You Were Here, which he also wrote, saw Emily Lloyd star as a young Cynthia Payne, the eccentric suburban brothel-keeper. It won Leland a Bafta for best original screenplay.

Leland also directed 1998's Land Girls, starring Rachel Weisz, and an episode of HBO's acclaimed miniseries Band of Brothers, which was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

The episode Leland directed, titled Bastogne, won him an Emmy Award for outstanding directing for a miniseries.

Actor Liam Neeson, who starred in Leland's 1990 film The Big Man described the director as "a dream to work with".

"He was a real collaborator; he genuinely loved and admired actors," Neeson said. "We formed a close bond. I loved his mischievous sense of humour. You are always in my heart old friend. See you down the road."

Leland with film producer Dino De Laurentiis (left) on the set of Virgin Territory in Italy in 2007

Monty Python star Terry Gilliam said: "The loss of David is very sad. As a friend, and as a writer/director, he was always solidly grounded... invariably sensitive and ruthlessly honest.

"His 1987 film, Wish You Were Here, is still one of my all-time favourite British films."

Leland died at home on Christmas Eve surrounded by his "loving family", his agency said.

The statement added: "He is survived by his wife, Sabrina, his four daughters, his son and his six grandchildren... all of whom he loved almost as much as Arsenal football club."