Oscar-winning screenwriter of "The King's Speech" dies

British-American screenwriter and playwright David Seidler died on Saturday, March 16, at the age of 87. He is best known for his work on the cult film "The King's Speech," in which he told the story of former King George VI's struggle with speech impediments and won an Academy Award.

The screenwriter died while fishing in New Zealand, the BBC reports, citing the star's manager, Jeff Agassi.

"David was in the place he loved most in the world, New Zealand, doing what gave him the most peace, which was fishing. If it were possible, it would have been exactly as if it were scripted," Agassi said.

David Seidler was born in 1937 in London, Great Britain, but moved to the United States at the outbreak of World War II. He started his career as a screenwriter at the age of 40.

Because of his problem with stuttering, the playwright decided to write a screenplay for a movie about the former British King George VI, who had the same speech impediment and was able to overcome it. Interestingly, he based the plot on his own experience and portrayed himself as His Majesty.

For his exquisite work, Seidler received BAFTA and Oscar awards in 2011 for Best Original Screenplay. The title role in The King Speaks was played by Colin Firth, who also won Best Actor for his portrayal of the King.

According to the source, Seidler dedicated his award to "all the stutterers in the world."

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