A feature film director, screenwriter and actor whose legacy includes a series of successful 1960s and 1970s movies has died. Reuters reports that Bryan Forbes, best-known for the 1975 psychological thriller “The Stepford Wives,” died Wednesday at 86.

The British-born Forbes reportedly died at his home in Virginia Water, Surrey, England, after a long illness.

Forbes’ feature directing career got off to a strong start in the early 1960s, with “Whistle Down the Wind” (1961), followed by “The L-Shaped Room” (1962) and “Seance on a Wet Afternoon” (1964). He continued his success in the 1970s with “The Stepford Wives,” “International Velvet” (1978) and other movies, before wrapping up his directing career with the TV movie “The Endless Game” in 1990.

He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1992 Robert Downey Jr. movie “Chaplin.”

“Forbes was married to British actress Nanette Newman and had two daughters, TV presenter Emma Forbes and journalist Sarah Standing,” Reuters reports.

Actress Joan Collins responded to news of Forbes’ death on Twitter, writing: "Very sad to hear that Bryan Forbes died. He was an iconic figure of the British film industry. My heart goes out to Nanette, Sarah and Emma."

“Forbes was born John Theobald Clarke in east London in 1926 and made his screen acting debut in 1948,” the Reuters report notes. “He landed supporting parts in several notable British films including ‘An Inspector Calls’ and ‘The Colditz Story.’

“He set up Beaver Films in 1959 with director Richard Attenborough. Forbes wrote their first film, ‘The Angry Silence,’ which featured Attenborough in the lead role and was nominated for an Oscar in 1961 and won a BAFTA.”

Bryan Forbes