Oscar-winning screenwriter Sir Tom Stoppard passes away

British playwright and Oscar-winning screenwriter Sir Tom Stoppard has passed away at the age of 88 at his home in Dorset, England, BBC reports.

His representatives at United Agents confirmed that he died peacefully at home, surrounded by family.

The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Stoppard, who fled Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia and grew up in England, was celebrated for his inventive use of language, sharp wit, and innovative dramatic structure. His notable plays include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Travesties, The Real Thing, Arcadia, and the three-part epic The Coast of Utopia.

He was equally successful in film, penning screenplays for acclaimed movies such as the Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love, Brazil, Empire of the Sun, and Anna Karenina.