Hollywood producer Lynda Obst, who worked on several hit films including Sleepless in Seattle, has died at the age of 74 following 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 her home in Los Angeles, her son Oly Obst said. The Hollywood Reporter.
Oly called her late mother “an incredible mother, sister and best friend,” as well as “a trailblazer and 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 had her as a grandmother.”
Oly, a producer who also worked as her mother’s manager, told THR that her late mother was “surrounded by her 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). Photographed in New York in 2019.
Obst was executive producer of Sleepless in Seattle, the hit 1993 romantic comedy 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 in 1999 for Best Miniseries for her work on Julia Stiles in The ’60s. In recent years, Obst had produced television shows such as Hot in Cleveland, The Hot Zone, Good Girls Revolt and Helix.
Obst’s brother, Rick Rosen, director of television at the WME agency, said his late sister “was always happiest when she was with family” in a statement to the outlet.
“Our family is immensely proud of the career she 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 spoke about his health battle with publication in Februaryjoking that COPD was translated in Spanish as “I fucked up my lungs” since it has no cure, progressively worsens and can lead to death.
Obst said he smoked cigarettes and marijuana for five decades and hoped his declining health could give others a reason to kick their habits because it could lead them down a path similar to his.
She noted to the publication that she had to use a portable oxygen device to help her breathe in her later years.
“I want people to know that you could be the one affected by the fickle finger of fate, and I want to make it clear what the consequences of smoking are,” Obst told the publication. “It’s not the way you want to spend your retirement or your last 10, 20, 30 years.”
Obst died Tuesday at her Los Angeles home surrounded by her loved ones, her son Oly Obst told THR. Photographed in 2019 in Los Angeles.
Obst was also a producer on 1989’s Adventures In Babysitting, with (LR) Anthony Rapp, Elizabeth Shue and Keith Coogan.
One of his first notable projects was 1983’s Flashdance, starring Jennifer Beals.
The outlet credited Obst for being “a fierce advocate for 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 intelligent about how things worked and how movies were put together” and possessed “crazy intuitive intelligence and taste.”
He added: “She loved audiences as much as she loved filmmakers and understood that the ultimate victory was when you could check both boxes by making something great with great people and creating an experience for the audience that was not only satisfying and entertaining but also exciting.’
Obst, originally from Harrison, New York, also authored a pair of show business books: 1996’s Hello, He Lied & Other Tales From the Hollywood Trenches and Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales From the New Abnormal in the Movie Business, 2013.
Obst was fondly remembered for her contributions to the entertainment industry by several of her peers as news of her passing spread.
Director Paul Feig said: “This is incredibly sad. I was lucky enough to meet Linda several years ago and she was a lovely and intelligent person. This is a very sad loss for the industry. My heart goes out to her son Oly and all his family. RIP Linda.’
Obst was fondly remembered for her contributions to the entertainment industry by several of her peers as news of her passing spread.
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 came to Los Angeles 15 years ago,” Shaivitz said. ‘She was an incredible producer and told me exactly what I needed to hear to move forward. I learned a lot from her… the sky received another bright star today. Ty and RIP, Lynda.’
Agent Joe Veltre wrote: ‘RIP Lynda Obst. A brilliant producer and writer who shaped the film industry in many ways. His book Hello, He Lied & Other Tales from the Hollywood Trenches remains essential reading for anyone navigating Hollywood. We will miss her.’
According to THR, Obst’s family is hosting a private funeral and is planning an event in his honor for next year with the Producers Guild of America.
