Angelina Jolie’s second feature-length film, Unbroken, will be released this fall. It’s already getting Oscar buzz, and no one has even seen it yet. Unbroken tells the true story of Louis Zamperini, a man who was an Olympic runner (he was at the Berlin Olympics) and then a WWII bombardier. His plane crashed in the Pacific, and he was captured by the Japanese and taken to a POW camp where he was tortured and starved. And he survived. He survived to the age of 97. He passed away this week.
WWII Hero and Unbroken inspiration Louis Zamperini has died at age 97, according to a spokesperson for Universal Pictures.
A statement released by the studio on Thursday morning included a message from his family, which read: “Having overcome insurmountable odds at every turn in his life, Olympic runner and World War II hero Louis Zamperini has never broken down from a challenge. He recently faced the greatest challenge of his life with a life-threatening case of pneumonia. After a 40-day long battle for his life, he peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, leaving behind a legacy that has touched so many lives. His indomitable courage and fighting spirit were never more apparent than in these last days.”
Angelina Jolie, who directed the 2014 film about his life based on the best-selling book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, immediately expressed her loss. “It is a loss impossible to describe. We are all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him. We will miss him terribly,” she said in a statement.
Universal Pictures, which will release the film adaptation of Zamperini’s incredible story on December 25, 2014, went on to say in a statement: “We are so profoundly sad at this moment and all of our thoughts and prayers are with the Zamperini family. Louis was truly one of a kind. He lived the most remarkable life, not because of the many unbelievable incidents that marked his near century’s worth of years, but because of the spirit with which he faced every one of them. Confronting challenges that would cause most of us to surrender, Louie always persevered and always prevailed, and he spent the better part of his lifetime sharing the message that you could do the same. His example of grace, dignity and resilience inspired all of us lucky enough to know him and the millions who got to know him from the pages of Laura’s book. We move forward to the release of Unbroken with a renewed sense of responsibility in bringing Louie’s abundant life and indomitable spirit to the screen. Now more than ever, we join Angelina in honoring the lessons and legacy of this extraordinary man who has meant so much to so many.”
He lived a big life, an important life. His life story is worth telling, and he was so pleased that Angelina became his friend and that she was committed to telling his story. They did an interview together with Tom Brokaw where Brokaw referred to Angelina as Louis’s “girlfriend” and I swear, Louis was happy as a clam. Louis even gave her a necklace, which she wears often. So… I mean, I don’t think it’s “in poor taste” to go ahead and release Unbroken. Similar things happened when Johnny Cash passed before Walk the Line was released, and Ray Charles passed just before Ray was released.
Rest in peace, Louis.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I am warming to this woman more and more.
I just love her, always have.
She has a moral outlook, its not a prescribed one, its an outllook that she has created for herself and its authentic, I think that is why we are all starting to love her. Being authentic in Hollywood is highly unusual.
@kyzmet
I could not agree with you more. I believe Angelina is completely authentic. The Chelsea Handlers of the world don’t deserve to be in the same room.
May he rest in peace, and condolences to his family and loved ones.
Aw! 🙁 I had hoped he could still be with us to see his own life’s work on the Big Screen!
I thought of that immediately, too, I wonder if he was able to see some clips at least since it had been shot already? RIP Louis.
Agreed. But telling the story is most important to these older gents, not necessarily seeing it again. He passed his legacy on, so now he could pass on.
RIP.
Lovely way to put it, Kiddo.
Very sad, but what an amazing person! People like him really inspire me-they have gone through hell and back, and not only survived, but lived and lived large! Condolences to the family, and yes, his story should be told.
me too. so sad. I hope this doesn’t sound terrible but at least he realized/knew/was able to see how important his story was and how it touched people before he passed.
ITA, What a shame that he could. Not see the finished project and receive more homages for it.
He surely lived A live worth living, and his story needs to be told in different media. Every elderly person that leaves us is a piece of our history going away, living history. I am glad he got to see it being done.
I am looking forward for it.
BTW now I imagine why AJ was looking kind of glum in the restaurant pics.
There is a teaser trailer out, bet he got to see some of the footage before he passed.
I thought he saw the film. The whole film in a rough cut version. I could have sworn he did.
And it’s not like the film is only ready in the days before it’s released. There are private screenings long before the film hits theatres.
Yes in a USA Today interview Angelina did back in May she said Louis saw a lot of the film before his passing, she would run things by him while she was editing the film.
Such sad news.. We have lost most of the WWII Vets. Just a few left.. Hard to grasp that. He was such a man of God too and I send my prayers to his family and friends. I know Angie really cared deeply for him. I saw this video of him talking and he says this all but better.
http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/09/louis-zamperini-rose-parade-grand-marshal/
Thank you for posting lisa2 I am glad he enjoyed meeting Angelina and working with her, very sweet what he said in the article that she loved him. Like the kisses of a grand daughter, she helped make his final days more enjoyable. RIP Sir.
What I like most is that they lived near each other and didn’t know it until they met. In the interview I saw on TV Angie says look my house is over there as she pointed out the window of his home.
RIP you sweet man.
I really like this.
His story needed to be told on a larger scale. A movie does this and he seems so overjoyed at Dame Angie, the process, and life.
Ugh. I can’t see this in theatres without a case of tissues. His story is incredible.
RIP Louis. Condolences to family, friends and all that knew him.
RIP.
and good for angelina that this is the kind of thing she chooses to do with her time and resources.
I read Unbroken a few months ago for my book club and it was such an amazing story, one that was so difficult to read about, let alone live through. RIP Louis.
It’s an amazing life he lived, and he seemed a remarkable person. Just to add that it was Laura Hillenbrand who most recently brought his story to life in her book Unbroken. She’s pretty amazing, too–it’s a great read.
a long time ago i attended the funeral of an old pilot. and a wartime foe-turned-peacetime friend, equally old, came all the way from Europe to read a speech that was a translation from English (though i disn’t quite catch the name). it was so beautiful that i wrote it down on the service book and i have kept it ever since.
as i read the news of Louis’s passing, i remembered it, and i think it’s also fitting for him, it goes:
you have passed from this earth, for the sky you love. now is your joy as you leave the long night, no longer burdened. for you dance on the streets of heaven, and touch the presence of God.
farewell Louis Zamperini and thank you.
That’s beautiful. RIP Louie Z!
That’s a beautiful thought. Thanks for sharing.
I’m passing that along to my dad’s friend, who was a WWII bombadier or gunner. I always forget which. A gunner on a bomber?
Speaking of funerals, I love seeing the articles in the Daily Mail where they talk about an old WWII veteran passing away whose family and friends are all dead so there’s no one to go to the funeral. And then hundreds of people go. It’s absolutely lovely.
yes, they had gunners on bombers to shoot at fighter planes trying to take them down. The B17 had an increasing number of gun placements as the war progressed and they understood how better to defend the plane on its way to and from targets – it ended up with 6 gunners.
They also developed flying techniques such as box formations so that every inch of sky was protected against by the combination of all the formations’ guns. This is why fighter escort for bombers was so important and why places like Iwo Jima was so fiercely fought over. History – it really is important to understand how and why events occurred.
Lovely, l c deb
Your comments are always thoughtful and serene
Aww RIP I have a soft spot for WWII vets the truly are the greatest generation.
So sad. His book is amazing. It was so intense, there were times I had to put it down and walk away. I highly recommend it to everyone. It’s a great perspective giver. There were times while reading it, all I could think was “wow, my life is so freaking easy.”
Very sad that he didn’t live to see the premiere.
Agreed. Rest in peace, Louis.
RIP to this great man!
It’s sad that he didn’t live to see the movie, but he lived a long, amazing life that he could be proud of. By all accounts, he got to know Angelina and her family and really enjoyed that, so good for him. Angelina seems to like and respect him a lot, and I’m sure the movie will be a fitting tribute to his life.
As a side note, I am always in awe of people like him, and my grandmother in her 90s, and others at the nursing home I volunteer at. These people were called The Great Generation for a reason. They lived lives and overcame challenges we can only dream of.
Thats really wonderful that you volunteer with a nursing home. It was posted above about how people show up to WWII vet funerals because their friends and family are gone and it made me think that it should be a reminder to all of us that these people are spending the last of their days alone too – they would probably appreciate company when they are alive more than when they are gone. A good reminder to volunteer where and when we can.
@Jedi -it’s something I started in school when they encouraged community service, and I kept up with it because I honestly enjoy it. It’s an activity my husband and I do together. Although it is sad to see people so often reduced in their faculties, many are still sharp and alert and great company. Plus they’ve lived so long and through such transformative times, they usually have amazing life stories to tell. And as they get older, even those with full mental acuity tend to lose inhibitions, so they are often hilariously bitchy.
Sadly, so many rarely see their families. Not judging -I know people are busy- but since we were not blessed with children, we have the extra time to do things like visit.
In any case, for those who have the time, inclination, and opportunity to volunteer with the elderly population, consider this your PSA for doing so. It’s mutually rewarding and something you can do as a family.
RIP Louis Zamperini
If anything, one could argue that it’s more important now to tell this story, since he can no longer tell it himself. No to diminish Johnny Cash or Ray Charles in any way, but I think an argument can be made that this story deserves the film treatment even more than those stories, since the odds he dealt with were so much higher.
His actual story is amazing. After the war, he became committed to Christianity and actually returned to Japan to meet with his captors and forgive each of them.
Really??? I didn’t know that, he was even more awesome than I already thought. God bless him, Angelina and his family.
Yeah, it’s part of the book. He went back to Japan and actually tracked down the people who he could recall tormenting him and embraced them and gave them a copy of the New Testament to show them why he forgave them. The former head of the prison was the only one who refused to meet with him, if I remember correctly.
I think maybe he did see some of the film. I know that he and some of his family went to Australia when Angie was filming. We live in a digital age. She probably has the film on computer so not hard for her to take it to his house for him to see some of it. He was 97..and I think the thought of his not living to see the film to it’s end was always in the backs of the minds of his family, friends and the studio.
My grandmother is 94 years young. I am in awe of her every day. I don’t know if the generations that have followed have the the fiber of that generation at all.
Such a remarkable human being. RIP Louis.
so sad. prayers to his family.
RIP Louie. Thank you for your bravery, courage and inspiration. And thank you Angelina for bringing Louie’s incredible story to the big screen.
I will be the first in line at my neighborhood cinema to see Unbroken in December.
Writer Laura Hollenbrand, author of Sesbiscuit, wrote the brilliant book, Unbroken. She really deserves a lot of praise for so beautifully telling Zamerini’s story.
A truly amazing man! He has earned his peace. Wonderful book!
“Unbroken” is a remarkable book. It should be required reading for every high school student.
It would never get by the pc police. It’s an amazing book, written by an amazing writer, so I hope the film gets people to pick it up.
It is coming out in a paperback.
RIP great man – you inspired millions of people with your resilience, strength and forgiveness.
PS: Angelina and Laura – take a bow for making sure the world will never forget this man.
My condolences to all his family and friends.
It’s so good he found people like Laura Hillenbrand and Angelina to tell his story, and I am looking forward to the release of this movie.
Louis Zamperini > Quotes
“Someone who doesn’t make the (Olympic) team might weep and collapse. In my day no one fell on the track and cried like a baby. We lost gracefully. And when someone won, he didn’t act like he’d just become king of the world, either. Athletes in my day were simply humble in our victory.
I believe we were more mature then…Maybe it’s because the media puts so much pressure on athletes; maybe it’s also the money. In my day we competed for the love of the sport…In my day we patted the guy who beat us on the back, wished him well, and that was it.”
“The one who forgives never brings up the past to that person’s face. When you forgive, it’s like it never happened. True forgiveness is complete and total.”
“All I want to tell young people is that you’re not going to be anything in life unless you learn to commit to a goal. You have to reach deep within yourself to see if you are willing to make the sacrifices.”
“I think the hardest thing in life is to forgive. Hate is self destructive. If you hate somebody, you’re not hurting the person you hate, you’re hurting yourself. It’s a healing, actually, it’s a real healing…forgiveness.”
“Yet a part of you still believes you can fight and survive no matter what your mind knows. It’s not so strange. Where there’s still life, there’s still hope. What happens is up to God.”
“God knew my needs and took care accordingly.”
“The great commandment is that we preach the gospel to every creature, but neither God nor the Bible says anything about forcing it down people’s throats.”
“I was raised to face any challenge.”
“The world, we’d discovered, doesn’t love you like your family loves you.”
“To live, a man needs food, water, and a sharp mind.”
“I’d made it this far and refused to give up because all my life I had always finished the race.”
“It was all in His hands now – as it had always been.”
“The race film had confirmed a dead heat. That was great. But even better, most of the New York press finally learned to spell my name correctly.”
“(On surviving on the raft for 47 days) We had truly made it on a wing and prayer.”
“All I knew was that hate was so deadly as any poison and did no one any good. You had to control and eliminate it, if you could.”
“I’ve always been called Lucky Louie. It’s no mystery why.”
“God has given me so much. He expects so much out of me.”
RIP Louie.
I have so so so much respect and gratitude for WWI and II veterans. Unbroken made me cry, especially that photo of him hugging his mother when he finally made his way home after years of being a POW.
A very inspiring and fantastic human being.
Thank you Mr Zamperini and all other WWI and II veterans for all that you sacrificed for the peace that we enjoy today.
RIP.
Simply extraordinary.
This news made me so sad today. He’s such an inspiration. Laura’s book is one of the best I’ve read, in part due to Louis’s incredible life. I can’t wait for this movie to come out.
He lived a good long life. Unbroken is one of my favorite reads. I don’t think a movie will top that. I’ve never seen a movie where it’s better than one’s imagination or a book or a life. Not sure if I will see the movie.
Sometimes one feels like that. To me, the “little women” movie was very far from what the book conveyed to me, but nowadays, as a teacher I can see how movies can attract people to reading, and on top of that, being from a different country, movies can hel us learn about those foreign heroes that we would have never known otherwise.
I hope the movie does the story justice.
Rest in peace!
They don’t make them like him, anymore! Too bad….RIP
This is so sad. My he RIP.
More movies should be made about our everyday heroes. What an amazing man. A life lived in excellence & resilience. All of us can gain wisdom from his life lived.
Aww, this is so sad. I’m worried about my neighbor, Mr. Caspary, being that I’m in Jackson, TN right now–and will be for (at the very least) the month of July. Mrs. C is still in the nursing home, still can’t walk, and her memory’s getting worse–I don’t think she’ll hold out until I get back home, and Mr. C’s getting up there in age–they’re both 92.
But I wish Louis would’ve lived a bit longer–that would’ve been cool if he’d been on the red carpet premiere, looking cute in his tux.
Virgi, how is your mom?
I think she’s feeling sad–she just shaved her head yesterday…she had LONG hair, ten years worth of growth–dreadlocks. And it didn’t help that the sister that she doesn’t like (for good reason, because she’s still a crappy sister who comes over and eats all of our food, but is always complaining about how she’s broke–but she’ll bring her appetite EVERY TIME), told her that she looked cute.
It would be heartbreaking for sure to lose her hair Virgilia. Sorry to hear that. I really hope things work out for your mom, family, and neighbours.
@Virgilia Oh sweety, send my love to your mom (though we don’t know eachother personally)… I’m sure she’ll pull this through, you’ll see.. Hang in there!! If you need anything, talk, whatever, I think I speak for everybody, we’re here…
Kiss sweety…
RIP to a gentleman who was, by all accounts, an extraordinary human being.
Oh, no! I read “Unbroken” and was hoping one day to maybe meet or see this man. Rest in peace.
I hope that this will show the younger viewing audience that we have been living making heroes during our time. Men and women like him are the reason that we are free to live the way we do and we should celebrate them! I also really do hope that this film and the fact that Jolie directed it will bring attention to history.
Didn’t he give Angelina his gold track and field necklace? I thought it was something that was once his…
The article makes it sound like he simply gave her jewelry. I could be remembering it wrong, but I thought it was a personal item.
She has worn it often.
Yes he did and she was wearing it when she and Brad went out to dinner..
He also gave her I think one of or his purple heart when she had her surgery. His children have both spoken of how he and Angie really adored each other.
They both have excellent taste in people
The necklace was something Louis won back in his early days of running.
This man was a true hero, and there are so few of them around anymore. RIP, sweet soul.
Without all that men and( women) like him who have truly sacrificed we wouldn’t have all that we have today yet thank-you doesn’t seem like enough. I’m going to say it any ways Thank-You.
Sad to hear that, what an extraordinary life. I read Laura Hillenbrand’s statement, it sounds like they were so close, like family after spending so much time together for the book. It’s a shame he won’t get to see the film released, but I’m glad he got to see the response to his story being told in the book.
Sad news 🙁
RIP Mr. Zamperini 🙁
I’m a Jolie-Pitt fan and it is such a joy to find this site where people say positive things.
In Just jared ,they also featured Mr. Zamparini’s demise, although a lot of fans were devastated of his passing but a lot of Haters were there and turned it into a circus. They don’t even cared that a great man died but just makes malicious comments and fabrications. What disgusted me was an Aniston fan saying Angie and Brad do incestuous acts to their kids. That’s how crazy those people are and the just jared police patrol just let them say anything they want. Another
fan wants to stab Angie 100x if he saw her. That Lena is one of those crazies.
It would be even nicer if you left all that drama over there. Why would you even want to repeat any of it here? I realize your frustration but let’s keep this place free of that, ok?
To ANOTHER FAN….
I think they’re just name-changing trolls…
and yeah, this site is great…
RIP Mr. Louis Zamperini
I hope I can find a copy of Unbroken here in the PH before the film is released…
It’s nice to read comments about Mr. Zamperinis life . I don’t read a lot on biographies but a trip to Barnes and Noble is most likely worthy for this one.