US film director Mark Rydell, known for steering Hollywood icons like Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, and Bette Midler to critical acclaim, has died at the age of 97, according to an announcement from the Actors Studio West in Los Angeles confirmed by his niece, actress Maggie Wagner, via the Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
Directing Legendary Performances in “On Golden Pond”
Rydell earned an Academy Award nomination for best director for the 1981 family drama “On Golden Pond”. The production famously united Henry Fonda and his daughter, Jane Fonda, on screen for the first and only time in their careers, according to dpa. The film also secured Oscars for Katharine Hepburn and a posthumous Academy Award for the ailing Henry Fonda.
Shaping Bette Midler and Other Star-Studded Casts
Beyond his work with the Fondas, Rydell directed Bette Midler in her cinematic debut as a Janis Joplin-esque rock singer in “The Rose” (1979), which earned Midler an immediate Oscar nomination, as reported by dpa. Midler, now 80, paid tribute to Rydell on Instagram, writing that she felt lucky to have met him and learned so much from his direction, according to n-tv.de.
Rydell collaborated with Midler again on the 1991 drama “For the Boys”, which brought her a second best actress nomination. His extensive filmography also features “The River” (1984) with Sissy Spacek and Mel Gibson, and “Intersection” (1994) starring Sharon Stone and Richard Gere, alongside television projects such as the 2001 biographical film “James Dean”, which launched James Franco’s career.
From New York Stage to Hollywood Direction
Born in New York, Rydell initially pursued musical studies before transitioning to acting at New York’s Actors Studio under the guidance of legendary instructor Sanford Meisner, according to dpa. After performing across various film and television roles, he moved behind the camera during the 1960s to establish his career as a prominent Hollywood filmmaker.
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