Academy Award Nominee Dead at 97: RIP to Mark Rydell

Mark Rydell, a director, producer, and actor, has passed away at age 97.

A New York native who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for 1981’s On Golden Pond, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in California.

Rydell directed Bette Midler in two films: The Rose and For the Boys, and he clearly had an impact on the actress. Upon learning of Rydell’s passing, Midler took to her Instagram to pay tribute to the director.

“Mark Rydell, the director or my first film, The Rose, died this morning. He was an actor of note before he became a director, and I was so lucky to have met him when I did; he taught me so much on The Rose and later on For The Boys,” Midler began. “Two Oscars nominations both because of him. He was the actor’s whisperer; just a few words was all it took to understand what was needed. Devoted to Meisner. So many happy memories. RIP.”

View this post on Instagram

The Rose, in which Rydell directed Midler, earned four Academy Award nominations including Best Actress in a Leading Role (Midler). In addition to The Rose, Rydell directed six other films that were nominated for Academy Awards: The Fox, The Reivers, Cinderella Liberty, On Golden Pond, The River and For the Boys.

On Golden Pond was Rydell’s biggest success. The film was a commercial success that brought in nearly $120 million at the box office against a budget of less than $8 million. The movie earned 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Director (Rydell). Henry Fonda (Best Actor), Katharine Hepburn (Best Actress), and Ernest Thompson (Best Adapted Screenplay) walked away with Academy Awards.

Rydell’s last directing credits were from the early 2000’s when he directed Even Money (2006), a crime film starring Kim Basinger, and an episode of ABC’s Masters of Science Fiction (2007).

Since 2007 Rydell had been divorced from his second wife, Esther. He is survived by his two sons and a daughter.