Mark Rydell, ‘On Golden Pond’ and ‘The Rose’ Director, Dies at 97
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- Mark Rydell died Friday at age 97, with Bette Midler announcing the news on Instagram and writing that he was 'the actor's whisperer' who earned her two Oscar nominations.
- "On Golden Pond" (1981) earned Rydell a Best Director nomination and won Oscars for Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn (her unprecedented fourth), marking the only time father and daughter Fonda co-starred on screen.
- Rydell directed Midler's screen debut in "The Rose" (1979), a Janis Joplin-inspired drama that earned Midler her first Oscar nomination, and later guided her through "For the Boys" (1991) for a second nom.
- Before directing, Rydell was a working actor, starring on the soap "As the World Turns" for six years and delivering a career-highlight performance as psychotic gangster Marty Augustine in Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye" (1973).
- Rydell drew Oscar nominations for a roster of actors beyond Midler: Jane Fonda (supporting, On Golden Pond), Marsha Mason (Cinderella Liberty), Sissy Spacek (The River), and Rupert Crosse (The Reivers).
- His later television work included HBO's "Crime of the Century" (1996) about the Lindbergh kidnapping and TNT's "James Dean" (2001) starring James Franco, which drew 11 Emmy nominations including best director.
- Rydell is survived by three children — Amy, Christopher (both actors), and Alexander (an editor) — and trained at the Juilliard School, the Neighborhood Playhouse, and the Actors Studio.
Why it matters: Rydell's death closes a chapter on a generation of director-actors who shuttled between studio-era Hollywood and prestige TV; the Midler quote and the 'On Golden Pond' Oscar sweep cement his reputation as a scene-stealer-maker, with five actors earning Oscar nominations across his directing filmography.
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