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- Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto have paid tribute to director Jean-Marc Vallée following the news of his untimely death.
PEOPLE confirmed that the 58-year-old acclaimed film and television director, known for films such as Wild, Big Little Lies, and Sharp Objects, died unexpectedly on Sunday at his cabin outside Quebec City.
Both McConaughey and Leto starred in Vallée’s 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club. They both won Academy Awards for the film, which also starred Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn, and Denis O’Hare, for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
“Jean-Marc was a true receiver with a gentle hand and heart,” McConaughey, 52, wrote on his Instagram Story Monday. “He didn’t romanticize life so much as he saw life romantic — love stories were everywhere in his eye, from the struggle to the pain to the wink and the whisper.”
Leto, 50, shared a photo of Vallée on Instagram “A true artist and a filmmaking force who changed my life with a beautiful film called Dallas Buyers Club. To everybody who knew him, my heartfelt condolences. Life is extremely valuable.”
Dallas Buyers Club was also nominated for Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture and won an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
A year later, his 2014 film Wild, based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, received Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress nominations for Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern, respectively. They also collaborated with him on HBO’s Big Little Lies’ first season.
“My heart is shattered. My acquaintance. I adore you. “Witherspoon, 45, expressed her grief on social media. On her Instagram Story, she added, “As the sun sets, I’ll always remember you.
I’m chasing down the dwindling light on the side of a mountain in Oregon. In Monterey, on a beach. Assuring that we all experience a little magic during our lives. Jean-Marc, I adore you.”
On Instagram, Dern, 54, wrote, “Jean-Marc Vallee is a stunning young man. One of our greatest and most pure artists and dreamers has passed away. We also lost a dear friend. Our hearts are shattered.” “We share so many beautiful memories,” author Strayed wrote in the comments section.
Vallée’s sons Alex and Émile, as well as his siblings Marie-Josée Vallée, Stéphanie Tousignant, and Gérald Vallée, survive him.
In a statement to PEOPLE, his longtime producing partner Nathan Ross said, “Jean-Marc was known for his originality, creativity, and willingness to try new things. He was a true artist as well as a generous and loving person. Everyone who performed with him couldn’t help but notice his ability and vision.”
Ross continued, “He was a friend, a creative partner, and an older brother to me.” “The maestro will be sorely missed, but it gives me comfort to know that his beautiful style and impactful work will live on.”
