Tom Stoppard—the Czech-born, English-raised dramatist whose work reshaped modern theater—has died. On November 29, 2025, his agency, United Agents, confirmed in a statement that he died “peacefully” at his home in Dorset, surrounded by his family.
They added, “He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language. It was an honor to work with Tom and to know him.”
Learn more about him below.
Stoppard was born in 1937 in Zlín, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). During World War II, his family fled Europe as refugees, eventually settling in England. He grew up in Bristol and later attended school in Nottinghamshire, adopting an English identity that would later shape much of his career and writing.
Although he became one of Britain’s most celebrated playwrights, his early life as a refugee strongly influenced the themes of exile, identity, and history explored in his later work.
Stoppard is best known for his breakthrough play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which reimagines Hamlet from the perspective of two minor characters. His body of work also includes classics such as Arcadia, The Real Thing, and Jumpers.
In his later years, he earned critical acclaim for Leopoldstadt, a deeply personal play inspired by his family history and Jewish heritage.
