He made the first "Superman" film and the "Lethal Weapon" series with Mel Gibson: Hollywood director Richard Donner is dead. He died on Monday at the age of ninety-one, according to American media.
Donner's assistant confirmed his death to the "Hollywood Reporter".
His wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner, told Deadline.com, “He was a great man.
I was a very, very happy woman.
But he was very sick, so it was time for him to go. "
Donner was born in the Bronx in 1930 and grew up in New York before attending New York University and then joining the military. In the 1950s he was first on stage and wanted to be a film actor. But the director Martin Ritt (“The Spy Who Came in from the Cold”) advised him: “You won't be told anything. It's better if you become a director. ”Donner said in June 2017 at an Oscar Academy honor gala.
So Donner became Ritt's assistant director.
He first learned his trade behind the television camera.
In the 1960s and 1970s he shot individual episodes of series such as "The Twilight Zone", "Cannon", "Kojak" and "The Streets of San Francisco".
His greatest box office successes include "Superman" and "Lethal Weapon", the horror classic "The Omen" (1976), "The Goonies" (1985), "The Ghosts I Called" (1988) with Bill Murray and his last film from 2006, "16 blocks".
"Richard Donner had the biggest, booming voice you can imagine," wrote "Goonies" star Sean Astin on Twitter.
“He laughed like no one has laughed before.
Dick was so much fun. ”According to Deadline.com, Mel Gibson said,“ He was magnanimous in heart and soul, I will miss him deeply, with all his mischievous wit and wisdom. ”
Director Steven Spielberg also mourns Donner: "To be in his circle was like hanging out with your favorite coach, the brightest professor, the sharpest motivator, the most lovable friend, the most loyal ally ...", Spielberg said in one Statement posted by his production company on Twitter.