TV writer/producer, film director, and playwright Garry Marshall died on Tuesday from complications from pneumonia following a stroke. Marshall made his mark writing and producing classic shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Odd Couple, Mark & Mindy and Laverne & Shirley (which starred his sister and future director, Penny Marshall). Marshall moved on to directing, helming such films as Pretty Woman, Overboard, Beaches, and The Princess Diaries. Most recently, Marshall directed the “holiday” themed films Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and Mother’s Day. The director was credited for launching a number of careers, including Robin Williams and Anne Hathaway.
Pretty Woman star Richard Gere had this to say about Marshall’s passing:
“Garry of course was one of those truly important people one is blessed to meet in one’s lifetime. Besides being the pulse and life force of ‘Pretty Woman’… a steady helmsman on a ship that could have easily capsized… he was a super fine and decent man, husband and father who brought real joy and love and infectious good spirits to everything and everyone he crossed paths with. Everyone loved Garry. He was a mentor and a cheerleader and one of the funniest men who ever lived. He had a heart of the purest gold and a soul full of mischief. He was Garry.”
Marshall is survived by his wife, Barbara, to whom he was married since 1963; son Scott, a film director; and daughters Lori, an actress and casting director, and Kathleen, an actress; six grandchildren; and sisters Penny Marshall and Ronny Hallin, a TV producer.
Gary Marshall was 81 years old.