British playwright Tom Stoppard, who won an Oscar for the screenplay of the 1998 film "Shakespeare In Love", has died at the age of 88, United Agents announced on Saturday.

Stoppard, who first made his name with "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" -- an absurdist tragicomedy about two minor characters from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" -- developed a distinctive style combining serious ideas with comedy.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved client and friend, Tom Stoppard, has died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family," the talent agency said.

"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."

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