Leon Vitali, ‘Barry Lyndon’ actor and Stanley Kubrick collaborator, dead at 74

Leon Vitali, whose acting credits include playing Lord Bullingdon in “Barry Lyndon” and who also collaborated with director Stanley Kubrick as an assistant, died Friday. He was 74.

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Vitali’s death was confirmed by Kubrick’s official Twitter account. His family told The Associated Press on Sunday that Vitali died Friday in Los Angeles. No cause of death was given.

“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night,” the account wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts are with his family.”

Vitali was Kubrick’s assistant in “The Shining” (1980), “Full Metal Jacket” (1987) and “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999), according to IMDb.com. Vitali also portrayed Red Cloak, the masked leader of an aristocratic cult, in “Eyes Wide Shut,” Variety reported.

Vitali’s performance as Lord Bullingdon, Ryan O’Neal’s bratty stepson in “Barry Lyndon” did not establish Vitali as a major actor, but it led to his relationship with Kubrick, who allowed him to oversee the film’s editing process, the entertainment website reported.

He would later work with Kubrick on “The Shining” and other projects.

Vitali was born July 26, 1948, in Leamington Spa, England, according to IMDb.com. He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and had several small roles on television shows before moving to films in 1973, IndieWire reported.

In “The Shining,” Vitali is credited with casting Danny Lloyd, the actor who played the young Danny Torrance in the horror film, IndieWire reported.

In addition to his assistant title, Vitali is credited as the casting director on “Full Metal Jacket” and “Eyes Wide Shut,” according to IMDb.com.

“I’d work 14-, 16-hour shifts, seven days a week,” Vitali said in “Filmworker,” Tony Zierra’s 2017 documentary about his life. “It wasn’t like that some of the time. It was just normal.”

Following Kubrick’s death in 1999, Vitali supervised the restoration of many of the director’s films, Variety reported.

Matthew Modine, who starred as Pvt. Joker in “Full Metal Jacket,” tweeted his condolences on Sunday.

“There are people we meet who have a profound impact upon our lives. Leon Vitali was one such person in mine,” Modine wrote. “An artist in every aspect of his life. A loving father & friend to so many. A kind, generous & forgiving nature. He exemplified & personified grace.”

Vitali was married and divorced three times. According to Variety, he is survived by his three children: producer Masha Vitali, actress Vera Vitali and videographer Max Vitali.

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