“Today the World lost an Angel,” publicist Thomas Estey said in a statement.

Simmons began his career in 1974 when he opened his gym The Anatomy Asylum in Beverly Hills. The gym was renamed the Slimmons Studio and operated until it was closed in November 2016.

In a 2012 interview with Men’s Health Simmons said that his classes at the gym were attended by several “very career-oriented” people who “whatever reason they just haven’t focused on taking better care of their bodies.” He also said he’s known for his music selection for class.

“My nickname is Dickie Jukebox. I own thousands and thousands and thousands of songs. Some days I’ll be getting ready for class and I’ll put together a list of every song with the word ‘Dance’ in the title,” Simmons explained. “You name it, ‘Dancing in the Streets’ and ‘Dancing in the Dark,’ whatever I can find. And then the next day I’ll look for songs that are all different dances.”

“I’ll have a workout mix that has the Hustle, the Congo, the Charleston, the Twist, the Can-Can, the Mexican Hat Dance, the Mash Potato, the Cha-Cha and the Macarena. You put all those songs together and speed them up a little and you’ve got people just sweatin’ and sweatin’ and feeling good and singing along. If I’ve got the right songs, I can weave a spell over everyone,” he added.

Later in the interview, Simmons admitted he was not interested in spreading negativity. “I think being silly is great. It’s much better than just seeing doom and gloom everywhere and only thinking of their past. That’s what people do,” he explained. “I wrote a short book called ‘Walking Among the Ruins’ because that’s what the majority of people in the world do. They walk among the ruins of their life. Things that didn’t work out, relationships that went sour, jobs that disappeared. All they can think about is their ruins, and when you focus on that you can’t build a new you.”

Interest in the gym created the opportunity for media appearances, including on the reality series “Real People” as well as on “Body Language,” “Win, Lose, or Draw,” and “Hollywood Squares.” Simmons also starred as himself on “General Hospital,” “Saturday Night Live,” and in the “Arrested Development” episode “Bringing Up Buster.”

Simmons’ energetic and playful personality were a huge part of his appeal to fans and clients who sought his help to lose weight. His “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” videos catapulted him to widespread fame throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 21st century, something the notoriously private fitness guru never quite adjusted to.

Simmons largely retreated from the public eye in 2014 and though regularly posted to his Facebook account. In one post shared in January, Simmons wrote, “For as long as I can remember, people have made fun of me. And people still to this day make fun of me. But you know what? I am glad to be me! And you should be glad that you are you. Three songs to listen to: I Will Survive… I Am What I Am… and … This Is Me. These songs will uplift you.”

In January Simmons also shot down any idea that he approved a planned biopic about his life starring Pauly Shore. “Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read. I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist.I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support,” he wrote on Facebook.

Days later Howard Stern said Simmons “should make a movie where he plays Pauly Shore and see if Pauly likes it.” Stern added of Simmons, “He’s a real caring human being and I think that’s why he eventually just disappeared, because he really got affected by the people he helped, and I really think it became too much of a burden.”

Simmons celebrated his 76th birthday on Friday, July 12. He shared a post on Facebook in which he wrote at length about the birthday traditions he grew up with. “My mom never baked our birthday cakes. She bought them from different bakeries,” Simmons said. “One year I had a birthday cake that was….welll not my style. It was a chocolate cake with cowboys and Indians fighting each other. There was green icing made to look like grass and a white Pickett fence around the whole cake. Maybe it had a message but I didn’t get it.”

Milton Teague Simmons was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 12, 1948 to Leonard Douglas Simmons Sr., and Shirley May. Simmons’ fitness career was inspired by his own weight loss journey; when he graduated high school Simmons weighed 268 pounds.

“I was completely obsessed with food. I began reading cookbooks when I was 6, because my father had hundreds of cookbooks in the kitchen,” he told Men’s Health. “I was obsessed with cooking and tasting different recipes. I got lost in being a compulsive eater. It brought me much happiness.”

In 2008 he told the Tampa Bay Times that he originally planned to become a priest because, “I thought that was my calling.” He added, “I was raised extremely Catholic in New Orleans. I thought that’s what I wanted to be, but it wasn’t. It was much different than the fun nuns and priests I had in the French Quarter.”

Simmons moved to Los Angeles in 1973 and tried to find a gym for people who were not already in shape but was unable to do so. His gym Slimmons was designed for anyone, “from the overweight and obese, to seniors and the physically challenged.”

In addition to his success with Slimmons Studio and the 65 fitness videos he created, Simmons was also the author of 9 books and 3 best-selling cookbooks.

This news was first reported by TMZ, citing law enforcement sources.

Mike Roe also contributed to this story.

The post Richard Simmons, Legendary Fitness Guru and TV Personality, Dies at 76 appeared first on TheWrap.

Westheimer’s career began in the 1980s with her radio show “Sexually Speaking.” in 1983 she published “Dr. Ruth’s Guide to Good Sex,” the first of 40 books she wrote. She was a regular on the late night show circuit, and her own talk show debuted in 1984.

In a 2016 interview with the Harvard Business Review, Westheimer said career path wasn’t planned from the start. She was training to become a sex therapist at Cornell University Medical Center when a law was passed in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey that required radio programs to include community affairs in their broadcasts. The school received a letter from a local station that asked if any of the students would be interested in fulfilling the role, and Westheimer said she would.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that would turn into a program,
she said. “But within a week I got a request from Betty Elam at WYNY to do an interview on a Sunday morning show. I did it, and right after that she called and gave me 15 minutes of airtime just after midnight on Sundays. So I did that for one year. I built it up.”

She soon began to receive thousands of letters and spent a decade as the host of her own show at the station from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Sundays.

Westheimer also revealed that losing family in the Holocaust inspired her to live her life in a very specific way. “There were 1,500,000 Jewish children killed during World War II. I was spared because, by chance, I was in Switzerland, not in Holland, Belgium, or France,” she explained.

“People like me have an obligation to make a dent in society. Many of us became social workers, nurses, or counselors. I wanted to study medicine—impossible at first, because I didn’t have a high school diploma, parents, or money. So I became a kindergarten teacher, which my grandmother had once said I should do because I was so short I could fit on those little chairs.”

“I did that in Israel and Paris, and then I started to study psychology. I did not know that my eventual contribution to the world would be to talk about orgasms and erections, but I did know I had to do something for others to justify being alive,” Westheimer said.

Westheimer’s small demeanor (she was 4’7″) and accented English often drew listeners to her program, but her academic training and extensive knowledge kept them coming back each week. She was a proud advocate for LGBTQ rights in the 1980s and and outspoken defender of gay men throughout the decade’s AIDS epidemic.

She also supported abortion rights and was a proponent of monogamy. In a 2015 appearance on “The Steve Malzberg Show” she explained, “I’m an optimist. I believe that most people want to have a relationship. They don’t want to just go to bed. They don’t even want to have a one–night stand.”

In 2020, she credited her ability to offer her undivided attention as a big factor in her success. While speaking to author Howard Lovy, Westheimer explained, “I’m sitting alone. I just had coffee. And I am not doing anything but listening to you and talking to you. I think you are absolutely right. This is one of my characteristics which comes from being a therapist. Because in my office in those days, no phone calls when I talked to people.”

Karola Ruth Westheimer was born on June 4, 1928, in a German village that was then known as Wiesenfeld. She was sent to live in Switzerland at the age of 10 due to the rise of the Nazi Party at home; her parents stayed in Germany to take care of Westheimer’s grandmother. Both her parents were later killed at concentration camps.

Westheimer immigrated to Palestine at the end of World War II, where she was trained as a sniper as a member of the Haganah, the Zionist military organization that protected the Yishuv (the Jewish population in Palestine before 1948). She was injured when a bomb hit her dorm on her 20th birthday during the 1948 Palestine War, which almost resulted in the loss of both her feet.

The trauma of the bombing stayed with her throughout her life. On Oct. 9, 2023, she tweeted, “As someone who was severely wounded in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, of course I stand with Israel today. But those wounds also help me to identify with all the dead and wounded on both sides. This is a terrible tragedy which sadly won’t end soon.”

She and her first husband moved to France in 1950 and Westheimer studied psychology at the Sorbonne. She and her husband divorced in 1955 and Westheimer immigrated to the United States with the man who would become her second husband in 1956. Westheimer earned her Master’s in Sociology from the New School in 1959 and her doctorate from Columbia.

Westheimer and her second husband soon divorced, and she met Manfred Westheimer in 1961. They were married until her husband’s death in 1997.

Her television show “The Dr. Ruth Show” took off in 1985. She also wrote a naturally syndicated advice column and launched a series of calendars. Westheimer regularly appeared on several talks shows, including “The Howard Stern Radio Show,” “Nightline,” “The Tonight Show,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Dr. Oz Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman,” as a guest.

Westheimer was also the author of 40 books, including “Sex for Dummies,” “The Art of Arousal,” “Heavenly Sex: Sexuality and the Jewish Tradition,” “Doctor Ruth’s Guide to Good Sex,” and her autobiography “All in a Lifetime.”

In 2001 Westheimer was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Leo Baeck Medal. She also received an honorary doctorate from Hebrew Union College-Institute of Religion for her work in human sexuality and her commitment to the Jewish people, Israel and religion.

Westheimer is survived by two children, Joel and Miriam, and four grandchildren.

The post Dr. Ruth Westheimer, TV Sex Therapist, Dies at 96 appeared first on TheWrap.

In 2012 Klages was the first lighting designer to be inducted into the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. He won one Emmy for outstanding visual achievement in special visual effects and six for his work on “The Lie,” “Mitzi & 100 Guys,” “The Dorothy Hamill Special,” “The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of Performing Arts,” “Great Performances: Dance in America” and the 33rd Grammys.

He received another 21 Emmy nominations, Monitor and Ace Awards, the 2004 “Distinguished Achievement Award in Lighting Design” from the United States Institute of Theatre Technology, and the “Lighting Designer of the Year” award at the 2002 LDI (Live Design International) Convention.

He also designed the 1984 Olympics Closing Ceremonies in Los Angeles and the “Liberty Weekend” Statue of Liberty Celebration in addition to four Republican National Conventions.

In an interview with lighting and camera systems ARRI, Klages opnce explained, “Television lighting during most of my career was a joy because of the independence. Nobody was instructing me or telling me what to do. I can’t remember anyone ever saying, ‘If you can do it in 12 hours, can you not do it in 10?’ Who has that freedom today? I’m talking about a golden age that maybe nobody will ever see again”

William Maxwell Klages was born on May 7, 1927, in Long Beach, New York. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before he moved to Columbia University, where he pursued a Master of Science.

Klages was hired as a maintenance engineer by NBC in 1948. He spent two years in the Navy and returned as a lighting engineer on the series “Playwrights ’56.”

Klages married his wife Julie Rosalie Light, who died in 2009. He is survived by their son, Jonathan Light Klages.

The post Bill Klages, 7-Time Emmy Winning Lighting Designer, Dies at 97 appeared first on TheWrap.

While most audiences know her best from horror classic “The Shining,” if you want to do a deeper dive into her filmography, here are some great places to start.

The Shining (1980)

Duvall’s Wendy Torrance, with her squeaky voice and upbeat optimism about living with an abusive alcoholic husband Jack (Jack Nicholson), seems to be completely outmatched when Jack goes completely nuts and tries to kill her and their son Danny. We’ve gotten used to Final Girls in the genre being more badass, but Wendy is tougher than she looks. Despite being terrified into an almost catatonic state, she wields a baseball bat that temporarily takes Jack out and has the foresight to lock him in the freezer.

Nashville (1975)

While there are plenty of eccentric characters in Altman’s Best Picture nominee, including a young Jeff Goldblum as “Tricycle Man,” Duvall’s Martha is the kookiest of all: She’s wearing the most outlandishly inappropriate clothing, changed her name to “L.A. Joan” and can’t stop flirting with every man she meets, to the dismay of her exasperated uncle (Keenan Wynn).

3 Women (1977)

Duvall won Best Actress at the Cannes Film festival — and numerous awards — for her role as Mildred “Millie” Lammoreaux in Robert Altman’s psychological study of the unusual relationship between Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Janice Rule’s characters. Roger Ebert called Duvall’s performance “a study in unease.”

Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976)

Joan Micklin Silver directed this lovely short feature, based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story of the same name: Duvall plays the shy, sheltered title character, who blossoms after being encouraged by her flapper cousin (Veronica Cartwright) to get an “immoral” bob haircut.

Thieves Like Us (1974)

Duvall costars with another Altman regular, Keith Carradine, in this Depression Era tale of doomed lovers Keechie and Bowie, who are perfect for each other, if not for the world. Late film critic Pauline Kael called it “the closest to flawless of Altman’s films – a masterpiece.”

Brewster McCloud (1970)

Duvall, then 20 years old, made a big impression in her very first film with those enormous eyes, the funky Liza Minnelli-esque eyelashes and her ditzy-but-not-dumb persona. She plays a tour guide who gets involved with Bud Cort’s daydreaming oddball. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea —Quentin Tarantino considers it one the worst movies ever made —but Duvall is unforgettable in it.

Popeye (1980)

Audiences were mixed on this Robert Altman adaptation, but you can’t argue with the casting: Who else but Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall could have played the iconic couple of the comics? The quirky, angular actress seems born to play a cartoon character come to life.

The post 7 Essential Shelley Duvall Movies appeared first on TheWrap.

Musician Dan Gilroy, her life partner, confirmed the news in a statement to THR. “My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley,” Gilroy said.

According to Gilroy, Duvall died in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas.

While most movie fans might know her as Jack Nicholson’s imperiled, baseball-bat-wielding wife in Kubrick’s “The Shining,” the actress worked most frequently with auteur Altman. He discovered the actress and gave her her first part in his 1970 film “Brewster McCloud” as the love interest of the title character played by Bud Cort.

She also played a kooky Californian in Altman’s 1975 epic ensemble “Nashville,” and won the Cannes Best Actress Award for her largely improvised performance in his 1977 mystery, “3 Women,” which costarred Sissy Spacek and Janice Rule.

A 1977 profile in the Boca Raton News described the rising actress as “a 5′ 7″ stick figure of a girl, with bangs, a blank-page expression and an overbite.” Altman raved to the paper that Duvall was able “to swing all sides of the pendulum: charming, silly, sophisticated, pathetic — even beautiful.”

She also appeared in the Altman films “Thieves Like Us,” “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” and “Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson.” She played Olive Oyl in the director’s 1980 live-action “Popeye” film that starred Robin Williams as the comic book character, a role that she was “born to play,” Roger Ebert wrote at the time.

“Shelley Duvall is like a precious piece of china with a tinkling personality. She looks and sounds like almost nobody else, and if it is true that she was born to play the character Olive Oyl. It is also true that she has possibly played more really different kinds of characters than almost any other young actress of the 1970s,” wrote Ebert.

During the ’80s, she created and hosted the anthology series “Faerie Tale Theatre,” which ran for six seasons on Showtime. The fanciful series boasted directors including Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola and talent from Mick Jagger to Vanessa Redgrave to Jean Stapleton. In 1985, it won a Peabody Award, a Golden CableAce Award and the Television Critic Association’s Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming.

Duvall followed the series with another Showtime anthology series, “Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories.”

In the ’90s and ’00s, she appeared sporadically in films, including Jane Campion’s “Portrait of a Lady,” before taking a 21-year absence from acting to take care of her cancer-stricken brother.

She was back in the spotlight in 2016 thanks to a bizarre interview with Dr. Phil, which was condemned by viewers, including Stanley Kubrick’s daughter, Vivian, who called it “exploitative” and “appallingly cruel.” During the interview, Duvall said she believed Robin Williams, who had died two years earlier, was still alive, and told the TV host, “I’m very sick. I need help.”

According to a 2021 Hollywood Reporter profile, “Coco” director Lee Unkrich was among those who were concerned for Duvall’s well-being. “Unfortunately, on ‘Dr. Phil,’ the world saw what it’s like to have untreated mental illness,” he told the publication, noting that it “has helped make Shelley mostly forgotten by Hollywood.” Unkrich located Duvall in Texas and found that while she was prone to panic attacks, the actress could “converse for long, coherent stretches.”

In 2023, Duvall returned to acting in the independent horror film “The Forest Hills.” Ahead of the film’s release, she told People that she was eager for more roles, pointing out that if Jessica Tandy could win an Oscar at age 80, so could she. “Acting again — it’s so much fun. It enriches your life,” she told the magazine.

In the 70s, Duvall dated singer Paul Simon for two years; She and musician Dan Gilroy had been together since 1989.

The post Shelley Duvall, ‘The Shining’ Star and Favorite of Robert Altman, Dies at 75 appeared first on TheWrap.

Sheehan’s death was confirmed by Kane Funeral Home in Wyoming. “After being able to call Big Horn our home, where we dearly loved. Douglas Sheehan, 75 of Big Horn WY. ,passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday morning, June 29, 2024 with his loving wife at his side,” Sheehan’s obituary read.

The actor’s lengthy career in television also included roles on “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Day by Day,” “Passions,” and the television series “Clueless,” which was inspired by the film of the same name.

Sheehan’s final appearance on camera was in two episodes of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”

Sheehan filmed over 200 episodes of “General Hospital” before he moved on to “Knots Landing” in 1983.

Doug Sheehan was born on April 27, 1949, in Santa Monica, California. He is survived by his wife, Cate Abert.

The post Doug Sheehan, ‘Knots Landing’ and ‘General Hospital’ Actor, Dies at 75 appeared first on TheWrap.

In the wild world of James Cameron’s films, steering the ship was the job of Jon Landau, who died on Friday at the age of 63. Cameron may have been the obsessive visionary — brilliant, driven and meticulous — but Landau was his absolutely vital right-hand man.

From dealing with studio misgivings during the arduous and expensive production of “Titanic” in 1996 to organizing four (!) “Avatar” sequels in the 2020s, Landau was the guy who gave Cameron the freedom to be his obsessive self, the producer serving as the one who knew how to handle the obsessions and make the visions achievable.

He ran interference for Cameron sometimes, acted as a shield at other times, but was mostly an indispensable colleague who found ways to support some of the boldest ambitions in mainstream cinema. Landau could be brash, but more often he was simply passionate about cinema — and passionate about what he and his friend Jim were achieving.

While Cameron received most of the attention, Landau was there when needed. The director got COVID-19 the day before the Los Angeles premiere of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in 2022, and Landau was an able master of ceremonies in his place — and a few weeks later, when Cameron cancelled his appearance the evening of a Wrap screening of the film, Landau not only picked up the slack, he turned himself into a de facto second moderator, ably directing his own questions to actors Stephen Lang and Sigourney Weaver, costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott and composer Simon Franglen.

Essentially, he always figured out the job he needed to fill, and he always knew why he was doing it. “We use the term transportive,” he told TheWrap in 2022. “Why do people turn to entertainment today? To transport themselves away from the world that we live in and the news stories and everything. You can’t do that as well at home, because the world is still there. In the theater, you go in, the image comes up, and you get to escape our world and go on a journey with these characters.”

Landau was also the one who spread the love, making sure that all of those who worked with him received credit. If you remember only one thing about all the “Titanic” acceptance speeches at the Oscars in 1998, it’s probably Cameron quoting his own screenplay and saying, “I’m the king of the world!” But when the film won Best Picture, Landau took the lead, starting out by saying, “I can’t act and I can’t compose and I can’t do visual effects, so I guess that’s why I’m producing,” before he pulled out a piece of paper and rattled off more than 50 names in a rapid-fire one-minute barrage.

Did all that reading of names offend the Academy? Probably not, but it’s baffling that Landau’s application for AMPAS membership was turned down after he won the Best Picture honor. He was finally admitted to the Academy in 2010, after “Avatar” gave him his second Oscar nomination and made him a producer of the two top-grossing films in history. (At TheWrap’s Oscar party that year, he told us, “If they don’t invite me this year, that’s it. I’m never going to join.” But they did invite him, and he accepted.)

At the time of Landau’s death, he and Cameron were in the thick of delivering three more “Avatar” sequels.

“Jim is never satisfied with what he’s done in the past,” Landau told TheWrap. “If I could pick one word to describe him, I would say he’s an explorer. He explores in the real world — he goes to the Mariana Trench, you know — but he explores in his movies and he challenges people around him to do better than they’ve done before. And that’s really exciting.”

At present, the “Avatar” sequels are scheduled to be released in 2025, 2029 and 2031. It’s a generous timetable that has already endured a few delays — but one that could become much harder without the contributions that Landau made.

If James Cameron is an explorer, it’s hard to imagine his cinematic exploration running as effectively without Jon Landau manning the oar — steering the ship, as Cliff Curtis (and lots of other people) figured out years ago.  

The post Jon Landau Appreciation: He Gave James Cameron the Freedom to Be a Visionary appeared first on TheWrap.

Belushi-Pisano’s death was confirmed by John Belushi’s social media accounts, including on Instagram. “Today, our hearts are heavy as we say goodbye to our sweet Judy,” the post began. “Her unwavering dedication and creative genius alongside Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi gave birth to The Blues Brothers, a timeless testament to the power of music and laughter.”

“In the years following John’s passing in 1982, Judy honored his life and championed his legacy and Blues Brothers brand. As we bid farewell, we pledge to continue her work, ensuring that John’s legacy, and the Blues Brothers will never fade.”

“There was no one like her. Judy made everyone feel loved. She was nonjudgmental, light, funny and pure. You could be truly yourself around her, that alone was a gift. The Belushi and Pisano families will carry your love in their hearts forever,” the post concluded.

Belushi Pisano was married to Belushi from 1973 until his death in 1982. She was a producer on several “Blues Brothers” projects and spent many years honoring his memory and legacy. She worked as a radio producer at the beginning of Belushi’s career and had uncredited roles in 1978’s “Animal House” and 1980’s “Blues Brothers.”

Belushi Pisano married her second husband, Victor Pisano, in 1990. The pair divorced in 2010.

She was active in the arts scene at Martha’s Vineyard, where she and Belushi first visited in 1974. The MV Times reported that while on the island, she held a screening of the film ‘John Belushi: Dancing on the Edge’ to benefit Martha’s Vineyard Community Services and a show with Dan Aykroyd, the other Blues Brother, to benefit the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse.

Judy Belushi Pisano was born on Jan. 7, 1951, in Wheaton, Illinois. She is survived by her children and grandchildren.

The post Judy Belushi Pisano, Widow of John Belushi, Dies at 73 appeared first on TheWrap.

“Jon was a visionary whose extraordinary talent and passion brought some of the most unforgettable stories to life on the big screen,” Disney Entertainment co-chair Alan Bergman said in a statement. “His remarkable contributions to the film industry have left an indelible mark, and he will be profoundly missed. He was an iconic and successful producer yet an even better person and a true force of nature who inspired all around him.

“Our thoughts are with Jon’s wife, Julie, and his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Landau was born on July 30, 1960, in New York, New York to Ely and Edie Landau, who were also both producers — Landau credited them with teaching him the skills needed to succeed in the role. He attended USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and began his career as a production manager on films including 1985’s “Key Exchange” and the 1986 films “F/X” and “Manhunter.”

He went on to produce Disney’s “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and “Dick Tracy,” before becoming executive vice president of feature productions at 20th Century Fox when he was just 29 years old.

While in the position throughout the 1990s, Landau was best known as the producer of the 1997 mega blockbuster film “Titanic,” for which he won an Academy Award for Best Picture, and the producer of the “Avatar” franchise alongside Cameron. Landau was also part of film history — “Titanic” became the first film to reach $1 billion at the box office. He also won two Golden Globes for “Titanic” and “Avatar.”

Landau’s tenure at Twentieth Century Fox also included overseeing “Home Alone,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Speed,” “Waiting to Exhale,” “Die Hard 2,” “Power Rangers” and “The Last of the Mohicans.” Working in that rule on “True Lies” is where he sparked his decades of collaboration with director James Cameron.

Cameron recruited Landau when the executive chose to leave Fox, asking him to read a project then code-named “Planet Ice.” That film eventually became “Titanic.”

In recent years, Landau served as the steward for expanding the “Avatar” franchise, including collaborating with Cameron and the Walt Disney Company on the “Avatar” land and attraction at the Animal Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World and shepherding the sequels. He was also the COO of Cameron’s production company Lightstorm Entertainment and he produced 2019’s “Alita: Battle Angel.”

“Avatar: The Way of Water” — the first of four planned “Avatar” sequels — finally hit theaters in 2022 and grossed over $2.3 billion worldwide. Landau was onboard to produce all four sequels, with “Avatar 3” and parts of “Avatar 4” already shot and “Avatar 5” yet to be filmed.

“Avatar 3” is set to be released in theaters in December 2025 by Disney’s 20th Century Studios.

As part of the team that produced three of the highest-grossing films of all time, Landau had plenty of experience understanding successful cinema. In a 2022 interview with The Talk, he explained how he measured success in terms of how a movie moved him.

“For me personally, I enjoy going to the movies, so a film’s success depends on whether it provides for me that escape — I don’t want to think about ‘Avatar,’ I don’t want to think about bills that have to be paid, all of these things,” he said. “Do I walk away from the theater having felt something emotionally? That’s how I view a movie that I go to as successful.”

In the same interview, he said that the success of “Titanic” pushed him as a producer. “I would say it has not changed it, but it has motivated me to even strive for newer heights cinematically. If you look at ‘Titanic’ and the standard that set; I’m talking about Deborah Scott and her costumes, Russell Carpenter’s cinematography, Peter Lamont’s production design…”

“Titanic” star Frances Fisher was among the first to memorialize Landau online. She first replied to a 2023 video he shared on X, “Had to come to your page to hear your voice. Fly with the angels dear Jon” before she separately tweeted, “Rest in Power Jon.”

TheWrap’s Sharon Waxman, Steve Pond and Mike Roe also contributed to this story.

The post Jon Landau, ‘Titanic’ and ‘Avatar’ Producer, Dies at 63 appeared first on TheWrap.

The actor’s death was shared on Instagram by husband Scotty Dynamo (also known as Nicolas Wilson), who wrote, “On July 2nd, my husband, best friend, and soulmate @mikeheslin passed away from an unexpected cardiac event after a week long battle in the hospital. Michael was young, in perfect health, and the doctors have no explanation for what happened.”

“Michael was brilliant, selfless, talented, and a real-life guardian angel. He single-handedly carried me through multiple rounds of cancer. He was the first person everyone would call to share good news with, and he was the perfect person to call if they needed a shoulder to lean on or the best advice. He truly was the sweetest, most caring, and loving man on earth, and he brought out the absolute best in everyone who had the pleasure to cross paths with him. He moved through life with such ease and confidence, and turned everyone around him into a better version of themselves. No matter how difficult things got, we knew that there was nothing we couldn’t overcome with Mike in our corner.”

“Michael, meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me. You are my world. You are everything to me. When I felt you take your last breath, my heart shattered into a million pieces. If I had the power to trade places with you, I would do it in an instant. But I will take it one day at a time like you always told me to, and live every day in your honor,” Dynamo continued.

“Just a week ago, we were in the early stages of starting a family and would regularly share our favorite baby names for our future kids. You always told me that you felt like you were meant to be a dad, and I couldn’t agree more. You would be the world’s most perfect father. If I ever become a dad, I am going to name my son after you and hope that I manage to raise him to become at least half the man you are.”

“You were the most generous and giving person. It brings me peace to know that, through your wish to be a donor, you have given the gift of life to four different families. We are 3 weeks away from your birthday and 4 months shy of our 1 year wedding anniversary, but I know that you are in a better place and that heaven has gained another angel. Michael, in the words of Shania Twain: I’ll love you ‘forever and always.'”

Heslin played Polo in two episodes of “Special Ops: Lioness.” His credits also include “Younger,” “The Influencers” and “The Holiday Proposal Plan.”

In addition to acting in “The Influencers,” Heslin was the show’s creator, writer and director. In an interview with Film Inquiry, he explained the project began while he was working in social media in between acting jobs.

“While there are so many influencers out there who are incredibly smart and business savvy, I happened to interact with a few individuals who, while beautiful and kind, didn’t have much of a real skillset,” Heslin said. “I started to wonder how those individuals would fare if they had to prove themselves in an unfiltered forum and thus, the idea for ‘The Influencers’ was born.”

The show also starred his husband as his character’s partner, Tyler. Heslin explained that his husband is “even more versed in this world than I am” and added, “I’m by no means knocking influencers or coming for anyone’s hustle. But I do think that social media makes it even easier for people to compare themselves to others and can generate feelings of inadequacy, especially in our youth.”

“The show is merely a reminder to us all that what you see online, is rarely what you get in real life and that we all should be able to laugh at ourselves at the end of the day and not give anything too much power over our lives,” he said.

Heslin is survived by his husband.

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