The Sun reports that Roeg, from North London, gained a charming reputation, described as one of the most original filmmakers in the UK.

His son Nicolas Roeg Junior said the film heavyweight died on Friday night.

Nicolas Junior said: “He was a genuine dad. He just had his 90th birthday in August.”

His credits include the David Bowie film The Man Who Fell to Earth and Don’t Look Now.

Bowie was one of many of the musicians he worked with, to wholly praise his work.

Bowie said working with Roeg was “was one of the more important experiences that I’ve ever had.”

He made his solo directorial debut on the classic Australian film, Walkabout, starring David Gulpilil.

He was also responsible for scaring children out of their skins with his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book The Witches, which starred Angelica Huston.

Before he embarked on a film career, Roeg did his National Service after World War Two.

But once he stepped foot in Marylebone Studios, making tea and operating a clapper board, he fast progressed to becoming a camera operator in 1960.

Having working on a number of minor films, his first notable works included The Trials of Oscar Wilde and Fred Zinnemann’s film The Sundowners.

Tributes have poured in for the director, with one fan writing on Twitter: “I am heartbroken to read that the great Nicolas Roeg passed away last night.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and is republished here with permission