Edouard Molinaro, nominated for an Oscar for directing La Cage aux Folles, a French farce about a gay couple that struck a chord with a broad range of audiences, has died at 85.

French President François Hollande’s office confirmed the death in a statement of condolence, praising Molinaro as “great, appealing and original” and a director who “conquered the public and the admiration of his peers at the same time”.

Molinaro’s career spanned six decades, including crime films and historical adaptations. He was best known for 1978’s La Cage aux Folles, which was nominated for several Oscars. The movie, about two men with a transvestite club in St Tropez who try to temporarily pretend they are straight, was remade as The Birdcage in 1996.

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