Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Andy Lewis passed away on Feb. 28 in his home in Walpole, New Hampshire at the age of 92.
Lewis’s death was reported this weekend by Deadline. The outlet noted that Lewis died of natural causes. He is perhaps best-known for co-writing the screenplay for Klute, a 1971 thriller that earned him his Oscar nomination. Jane Fonda took home an Academy Award for her portrayal of Bree Daniels in the movie, alongside co-star Donald Sutherland.
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In the movie, Bree Daniels, a prostitute, is the only person with information leading to a man who has gone missing. The R-rated mystery boasts a 97% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Before Klute, Lewis had a long career as a TV writer across several series. He was born in 1925 in Lexington, Massachusetts. As a young man, Lewis served in the Army’s 86th Blackhawk Division in World War II. After his service, he returned to college, graduating from Harvard in 1949.
Early on in his writing career, Lewis took odd jobs to support himself. He finally broke into the industry writing for the TV series Omnibus. It was on that show that he met Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy, who hired him as a speechwriter, and recommended him to several cabinet members.
Meanwhile, Lewis worked on TV shows such as Encounter, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, The Kraft Suspense Theater, Profiles in Courage, The Virginian, The FBI and Dr. Kildare. He also tried his hand in theater, producing a stage play called The Infantry off-Broadway in New York.
Lewis had retired from writing by 1985. He took an interest in architecture, ultimately building his own house in New Hampshire, where he lived up until his death last month.
Lewis is survived by six children and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as his partner, France Menk. The family has asked that donations in his memory be sent to the New Hampshire Food Bank, 700 East Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, NH 03109.
