Peter Werner, whose directing work spanned several hit television series, including “Moonlighting,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “Justified,” has died. He was 76 years old.
In a shared email with the hollywood reporter, Television producer Tom Werner (“That ’70s Show”) said his brother died Tuesday morning in Wilmington, North Carolina.
“She had a torn aorta that the doctors couldn’t repair. So sudden,” Tom Werner told THR.
Peter Werner, born January 17, 1947, graduated from Dartmouth College in 1968. She continued her studies at Antioch University, where she earned her master’s degree in teaching, and at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.
Werner began his directing career at AFI and graduated with more than just another master’s degree to his name. As a student, he directed the 1975 short film “In the Ice Country,” based on the short story of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. The short film, starring Fionnula Flanagan, won the Oscar for Live Action Short Film in 1977.
A short film brought Werner to Oscar glory, but the director focused his talents primarily on television. After winning the Oscar, he landed the direction of a variety of television projects throughout the ’70s, including the made-for-TV movie “Aunt Mary.”
In 1985, he directed several episodes of the Emmy-winning television series “Moonlighting,” starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. He earned an Emmy nomination in 1986 for directing him in the series.
From the 1990s through the early 1990s, Werner directed dozens of TV movies, including “Blue Rodeo” and “The Good Policeman.” In the past decade, Werner has directed the television series “Unforgettable,” “Justified,” “Bull,” “UnREAL,” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
By the end of his career, Werner earned a total of four Emmy nominations and was honored with a Peabody Award for his work on “LBJ: The Early Years.”
In addition to his brother, Werner is survived by his wife, Kedren, and their children Lillie, Katharine, and James, according to THR.
