Actor Glen Powell posted a tribute to the late Lynda Obst on Tuesday, Oct. 22 as news of her passing broke. Obst was a legendary producer who died at her home in Los Angeles on Tuesday at the age of 74. Powell revealed that she was a mentor to him early in his career. Fans joined Powell in mourning and shared stories of their own.
“I interned for Lynda when I first moved to LA,” Powell wrote on X – formerly known as Twitter. “A true trailblazer who never missed an opportunity to help me learn. I’d often get to drive her home from the office and witnessed someone who took in everything. To her, the entire world was a great story ripe for the making. RIP.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Obst’s son, producer Oly Obst, shared the news of her passing with The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday. Obst was best known for producing movies including Sleepless in Seattle, Flashdance, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Interstellar, among others. She was also an author. As many stars like Powell have said, Obst was beloved behind the scenes for her kindness and generosity, always helping to uplift others – especially women.
“My mom was a trailblazer and a fierce advocate for women,” Obst’s son told THR. “Also, she was an amazing mother, sister and best friend. [My wife] Julie and I are incredibly grateful that she was my mom and that my daughters got to have her as a grandmother. We will miss her.”
The outlet also spoke with one of Obst’s brothers, Rick Rosen, who is a partner at WME. He said: “Our family is immensely proud of the career that she had and the role model she was for women in the industry, but beyond that, we will always remember her incredible love of our family. She was always happiest when she was around the family.”
Powell broke into Hollywood as a child actor with a role in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, but he continued to attend school at home in Texas even as his career picked up from there. Earlier this year, he told THR about his early days in Hollywood, saying Denzel Washington introduced him to agent Ed Limato, who encouraged him to move to L.A. It was Limato who connected him with Obst. He joked: “I honestly think Ed just wanted me off his back because I was so intense.”
Obst is survived by two brothers and her son – all of whom are working in Hollywood. Tributes to her are filling social media this week.
Related Posts
-
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MAY 16: Glen Powell at the 2024 Toast to Texas Film at Troublemaker Studios on May 16, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Nicola Gell/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images) -
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – NOVEMBER 10: Ethan Hawke and Maya Hawke pose on the red carpet during a ceremony for the Stockholm Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 at Biograf Skandia on November 10, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. -
PARK CITY, UTAH – JANUARY 21: Glen Powell visits the IMDb Portrait Studio at Acura House of Energy on Location at Sundance 2024 on January 21, 2024 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images for IMDb)
