Hollywood producer Lynda Obst, who worked on a number of hit films such as Sleepless in Seattle, has died at the age of 74 after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Obst — who was executive producer of the hit 1993 rom-com starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan — died Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles, her son Oly Obst said. The Hollywood Reporter.
Oly called his late mother “an amazing mother, sister and best friend,” as well as “a trailblazer and a fierce advocate for women.”
Oly said he and his wife, Julie, “will miss her” and are “incredibly grateful that she was my mother and that my daughters could have her as a grandmother.”
Oly, a producer who also worked as his mother’s manager, told THR that his late mother was “surrounded by loved ones” when she passed away.
Hollywood producer Lynda Obst has died at the age of 74 after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pictured in New York in 2019
Obst was executive producer of Sleepless in Seattle, the hit 1993 rom-com starring Tom Hanksz, 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 for Outstanding Miniseries in 1999 for her work on Julia Stiles in the ’60s. In recent years, Obst had produced TV shows including Hot in Cleveland, The Hot Zone, Good Girls Revolt and Helix.
Obst’s brother Rick Rosen, head of TV at WME, said in a statement to the network that his late sister “was always happiest when she was with family.”
“Our family is extremely proud of the career she has had 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 opened up about her health struggles with publication in Februaryjoking that COPD translates to “Spanish for: “I ruined my lungs”” because it has no cure, gradually worsens and can lead to death.
Obst said she smoked cigarettes and marijuana for five decades and hoped her decline in health could give others a reason to quit their habits because they could follow a path similar to hers.
She noted in the publication that in her later years she had to use a portable oxygen machine to assist with breathing.
“I really want people to know that you could be the one struck by the fickle finger of fate, and I want to be clear about the consequences of smoking,” Obst told the publication. “This is not the way you want to spend your retirement, or your last ten, twenty or thirty years.”
Obst died Tuesday at her home in LA, surrounded by her loved ones, her son Oly Obst told THR. Pictured in 2019 in LA
Obst also produced 1989’s Adventures In Babysitting, starring (L-R) Anthony Rapp, Elizabeth Shue and Keith Coogan
One of her first notable projects came with 1983’s Flashdance, starring Jennifer Beals
The outlet called Obst “a fierce champion of women” and a skilled networker who developed “close, long-lasting relationships” with people across Hollywood, including CAA executive Bryan Lourd.
Lourd previously told the outlet that Obst was “very smart and clever about how things worked and how movies were put together” and had “crazy intuitive intelligence and taste.”
He added: ‘She loved the audience as much as she loved the filmmakers and understood that the ultimate victory was if you could tick both boxes by making something great with great people and creating an experience for the audience that was not only satisfying and was entertaining, but also moving.’
Obst, a native of Harrison, New York, had also written a pair of books about show business: 1996’s Hello, He Lied & Other Tales From the Hollywood Trenches and 2013’s Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales From the New Abnormal in the Movie Business.
Obst was fondly remembered by some of her colleagues for her contributions to the entertainment industry as news spread of her passing.
Director Paul Feig said: ‘This is incredibly sad. I was lucky enough to meet Linda several years ago and she was such a nice smart person. This is a very sad loss for the sector. My heart goes out to her son Oly and her entire family. RIP Linda.’
Obst was fondly remembered by some of her colleagues for her contributions to the entertainment industry as news spread of her passing
Screenwriter Jon Shaivitz called Obst, his former boss, an “absolute legend” in life.
“Working for Lynda Obst was the first thing I did when I arrived in LA 15 years ago,” Shaivitz said. “She was a great producer and told me exactly what I needed to hear to move forward. I learned so much from her…the sky got another shining star today. Ty & RIP, Lynda.”
Officer Joe Veltre wrote, “RIP Lynda Obst. A brilliant producer and writer who shaped the film industry in so many ways. Her book Hello, He Lied & Other Tales from the Hollywood Trenches remains essential reading for anyone navigating Hollywood. She will be missed.”
According to THR, Obst’s family is organizing a private funeral service and is planning an event in her honor with the Producers Guild of America next year.
