Sad news for movie fans. Iconic American filmmaker and legendary TV sitcom creatorGarry Marshallhas passed away. Perhaps best known for turningJulia Robertsinto a household name with his classic 1990 romanic comedyPretty Woman, the mansuccumbed to complicationsfrom pneumonia following a stroke. A Los Angeles resident most of his life, hediedTuesday night in a Burbank, California hospital.
Garry Marshallwas 81 years old at the time of hispassing. Along withPretty Woman, he also helped establish actress Anne Hathaway as a true Hollywood star with both 2001’sThe Princess Diariesand its 2004 sequelThe Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. A true legend in both the world of film and television, news of his untimelydemisewas first announced byAccess Hollywood. Cause of death was then later confirmed byTMZ.
Born in the Bronx, New York,Marshallbegan his career on television writing for Jack Paar’s Tonight Show. He would go onto write for The Joey Bishop Hour and The Dick Van Dyke Show before developing his first sitcom, an adaptation ofThe Odd Couple. In the early 70s, he worked on the anthology seriesLove, American Style, where the character of Richie Cunningham was first introduced. That led directly into creatingHappy Days, which debuted in January of 1974 and ran for 11 seasons, ending in 1984.
Garry Marshallwas the brother of actress/directorPenny Marshall, and was behind her first sitcomLaverne & Shirley, a spinoff ofHappy Days. He gave Penny her first big break with a bit part onHappy Daysthat later expanded into the iconic role of Laverne Defazio. During this stretch of time, he would go onto create a vast number of other sitcoms. These included otherHappy Daysspinoffs Mork & Mindy and Joanie Loves Chachi, along with Donna Pescow’s Angie, Blansky’s Beauties, The Brian Keith Show and Hey, Landlord. The man didn’t just work behind the camera, he was also a featured actor on such shows as The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and he played Stan Lansing on Murphy Brown. He later appeared on Brothers and Sisters and Louie. This past year, he showed up on an episode of CBS' newThe Odd Couplesitcom reboot.
It wasn’t until 182, with quite a few TV shows under his belt, that he decided to venture into the world of feature filmmaking. His first feature film was the medical comedyYoung Doctors in Lovestarring Michael McKean ofLaverne & Shirleyfame along withSean Youngand another one of his iconic stable of TV actorsTed McGinley. Two years later he would directMatt Dillonin the 80s classicThe Flamingo Kid.
Throughout the 80s, he would direct several other big stars in some noteworthy movies of the time, including Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason inNothing in Commonand Bette Midler inBeaches. He would also direct the famous Hollywood couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in the comedyOverboard.
In 1990,Marshallwould direct one of the biggest movies of that decade withPretty Woman. Throughout these next ten years, he would turn in a number of other memorable films, most of them dramas. These included Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer inFrankie and Johnnyand Giovanni Ribisi and Juliette Lewis inThe Other Sister. He also directedGreg KinnearinDear God.
ButGarry Marshall’s true calling was always comedy, and he directed his fare share of those as well. In 1994, he would pair Dan Aykroyd and Rosie O’Donnell inExit to Eden, and in 1999, he would reunite hisPretty Womanstars Julia Roberts and Richard Gere inRunaway Bride.
By the 2000s,Marshallwas mostly working in the world of feature films. It was during this decade that he directed bothPrincess Diariesmovies. He would direct a number of other romanic comedies such as Kate Hudson’sRaising HelenandGeorgia Rule, which starred Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan and Felicity Huffman. He would end his filmmaking career with what has become known as the Greeting Card trilogy, or the holiday trilogy, three ensemble romantic comedies that brought together some big name talent. The movies included 2010’sValentine’s Day, 2011’sNew Year’s Eve, and his final film as a directorMother’s Day, which debuted in April of this year.
Garry Marshallalso wrote the biography Wake Me When It’s Funny: How to Break into Show Business and Stay There. He is known for always including a baseball scene in his movies. He issurvived byhis wife Barbara Marshall and his 3 children. Condolences go out to his family and friends in this time of grief.
