Mark Rydell was an acclaimed American film director, producer, and actor famous for directing character-driven dramas and earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for On Golden Pond (1981). He shaped cinema as an "actor's director" who guided numerous stars to Oscar nominations, and left a lasting cultural footprint as a lifelong acting teacher and artistic director at Actors Studio West.
On Golden Pond: Directed the 1981 blockbuster hit that brought Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn together on screen, earning 10 Academy Award nominations.
The Rose: Helmed the 1979 musical drama that secured Bette Midler her breakout, Oscar-nominated film role as a tragic rock star modeled loosely after Janis Joplin.
Notable films including The Fox (1967), The Reivers (1969) with Steve McQueen, and the John Wayne western The Cowboys (1972).
RIP