Hollywood producer Linda Obst, who worked on several hit films including Sleepless in Seattle, has died at the age of 74 after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Obst, who executive produced the hit 1993 romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles, his son Ollie Obst said. The Hollywood Reporter.
Ollie called his late mother “an incredible mother, sister and best friend,” as well as “a trailblazer and fierce advocate for women.”
Ollie said he and his wife Julie “will miss her” and are “incredibly grateful that she was my mother and that my daughters had her as a grandmother.”
Ollie, a producer who also served as her mother’s manager, told THR that her late mother was “surrounded by her loved ones” when she died.
Hollywood producer Linda Obst has died at the age of 74 after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Photographed in New York in 2019.
Obst was executive producer of Sleepless in Seattle, the hit 1993 romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan and Ross Malinger.
Obst’s other credits include 1983’s Flashdance, 1989’s Adventures in Babysitting, 1991’s The Fisher King, 1997’s Contact, 2003’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and 2014’s Interstellar.
Obst received an Emmy nomination in 1999 for Best ’60s Miniseries for his work on Julia Stiles. In recent years, Obst produced television shows such as Hot in Cleveland, The Hot Zone, Good Girls Revolt and Helix.
Obst’s brother, Rick Rosen, head of television at the WME agency, said in a statement to the outlet that his late sister “was always happiest when she was with family.”
“Our family is very proud of her career and the role model she was for women in the industry,” Rosen said, “but beyond that, we will always remember her incredible love for our family.”
Obst spoke about his health battle With publication in FebruaryJokes about COPD translating to “I fucked up my lungs” in Spanish because it has no cure, progressively worsens, and can lead to death.
Obst said he has smoked cigarettes and marijuana for five decades and hopes his declining health can give others a reason to kick the habit because they may be following the same path as him.
He noted in the post that he had to use a portable oxygen device to help him breathe in the years since.
“I want people to know that fate can affect you and I want to make it clear what the consequences of smoking are,” Obst told the publication. “This is not how you want to spend your retirement or your last 10, 20, 30 years.”
Obst died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by loved ones, his son Ollie Obst told THR. Photographed in Los Angeles in 2019.
Obst was also a producer on 1989’s Adventures in Babysitting, starring (from left) Anthony Rapp, Elizabeth Shue and Keith Coogan.
One of his first notable projects was 1983’s Flashdance, starring Jennifer Beals.
The outlet credits Obst as a “fierce advocate for women” and networking expert who developed “close, long-lasting relationships” with people across Hollywood, including CAA executive Brian Lord.
Lord previously told the outlet that Obst was “very smart and intelligent about how things worked and how movies were made” and had “crazy intuitive intelligence and taste.”
He added: “He loved the audience as much as he loved the filmmakers and understood that the ultimate victory is when you check both boxes of creating something great with great people and creating an experience for the audience that is simply satisfying and entertaining. exciting.’
Obst, a resident of Harrison, New York, also wrote a pair of show business books: 1996’s Hello, He Lead and Other Tales from the Hollywood Trenches and 2013’s Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales from the New Abnormal in Movie Business.
Obst was fondly remembered by many of his peers as news of his death spread for his contributions to the entertainment industry.
Director Paul Feig said: “It’s very sad. I was lucky enough to meet Linda several years ago and she was a lovely and intelligent person. It is a very sad loss for the industry. My heart goes out to his son Ollie and all his family. Rip Linda.’
Obst was fondly remembered by many of his peers as news of his death spread for his contributions to the entertainment industry.
Screenwriter John Shaivitz called Obst, his former boss, an “absolute legend” in life.
“When I moved to Los Angeles 15 years ago, the first job I did was working for Linda Obst,” Shaivitz said. ‘He was an incredible producer and told me exactly what I needed to hear to get me going. I learned a lot from him… The sky received another bright star today. Ty and RIP, Linda.’
Agent Joe Veltre wrote: ‘RIP Linda Obst. A brilliant producer and writer who shaped the film industry in many ways. His book Hello, He Leads and Other Tales from the Hollywood Trenches is essential reading for navigating Hollywood. “We will miss him.”
According to THR, Obst’s family is hosting a private funeral and is planning an event in his honor next year with the Producers Guild of America.
