Lynda Obst, who produced Hollywood blockbusters including Interstellar and The Invention of Lying, died at her home in Los Angeles, California at the age of 74
Hollywood legend Lynda Obst has died aged 74.
The film producer, known for her roles on Sleepless in Seattle, Interstellar, The Invention of Lying and other movies, had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Tributes have poured in across the industry, including from Top Gun star Glenn Powell. He called Obst a “true trailblazer” in her field. The actor’s tweet reads: “I interned for Lynda when I first moved to LA. 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.”
Obst, who died at her home in Los Angeles, California, worked as an editor at The New York Times before turning her hand to producing in the 1980s. Alongside Debra Hill, Ms Obst produced Adventures in Babysitting, Heartbreak Hotel and The Fisher King.
Since splitting ways with Ms Hill, the film producer set up her own film company and worked with Ricky Gervais on The Invention of Lying, which was released in 2009. In 2014, Obst collaborated with director Christopher Nolan to co-produce Interstellar, a science-fiction drama starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. This marked the first time her production company, Lynda Obst Productions, was credited for a production.
Others in the industry paid their respects to Obst, who leaves behind grandchildren and her son, manager-producer Oly Obst. He said in a statement: “My mom was a trailblazer and a fierce advocate for women. 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.”
Chris Gardner, a showbiz journalist who had interviewed Obst earlier this year, tweeted: “I got to spend a few hours with Lynda earlier this year for a profile and I’ll never forget that day or her. She was a true trailblazer and simply one-of-a-kind.”
Aside from a long list of enviable credits on a wide range of projects, Obst was known in the industry for being a fierce champion of women in Hollywood and for developing close, longtime relationships with writers, actors, executives, filmmakers, and fellow producers.
