Simon Channing Williams Dies at 63

According to the Associated Press, Williams died at his home in Cornwall, England.

Born in 1945, Williams started his climb up the Hollywood ladder with the British Broadcasting Corporation, helping to bring several of Shakespeare's classics to the small screen. Later, he met Leigh, with whom he formed production company Thin Man Films in 1988.

Together, they produced 11 films, including Secrets and Lies, Topsy-Turvy and Vera Drake, earning several Cannes and Academy Award nominations for their eclectic portrayals of human nature.

"Williams was a natural born producer," Leigh said in an interview with UK paper the Guardian. "Always an enabler or protector. Never a dictator or interferer."

Although Williams collaborated with Leigh on several high culture projects, Williams was not above branching out into other genres. He collaborated with Kevin Macdonald on The Last King of Scotland and Stephen Frears on Three Men in a Boat.

Channing Williams is survived by wife Annie, five children and grandchildren.