Director Richard Donner Passes Away at 91 and Those Who Knew Him Offer Heartfelt Tributes
Director and producer Richard Donner has passed away at 91. Donner is the filmmaker who brought us films such as Superman and The Goonies, both of which shaped my childhood. He also worked on films such as Scrooged, The Omen, the Lethal Weapon franchise, Maverick, Ladyhawke, and more.
Damn, he was a great storyteller, and I am a huge fan! I actually got to meet Richard Donner once at a screening of Superman at a film festival in Los Angeles several years ago. He was sitting right in front of me! I couldn’t believe it! I got to watch Superman with Donner! That was a super cool experience, and I got to meet and talk to him briefly after the film, and he was just the nicest person. I’ll never forget that.
The cause of Donner’s death has not been revealed, but damn, it was incredibly sad to learn of his passing. His fans and the people who had the opportunity to work with him are now in mourning, and several of them are offering heartfelt tributes.
These tributes are coming from the likes of Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Kevin Feige, Edgar Wright, Sylvester Stallone, and Ben Stiller.
Spielberg, who wrote the story for The Goonies, said, “Dick had such a powerful command of his movies, and was so gifted across so many genres. Being in his circle was akin to hanging out with your favorite coach, smartest professor, fiercest motivator, most endearing friend, staunchest ally, and — of course — the greatest Goonie of all,” Spielberg said. “He was all kid. All heart. All the time. I can’t believe he’s gone, but his husky, hearty laugh will stay with me always.”
Gibson, who starred alongside Glover in the Lethal Weapon movies, shared, “Donner! My friend, my mentor. Oh, the things I learned from him! He undercut his own talent and greatness with a huge chunk of humility referring to himself as ‘merely a traffic cop.’ He left his ego at the door and required that of others,” Gibson said. “He was magnanimous of heart and soul, which he liberally gave to all who knew him. If we piled up all the good deeds he did, it would stretch to some uncharted place in the firmament. I will sorely miss him, with all his mischievous wit and wisdom.”
Glover said, “My heart is broken. Working with Dick Donner, Mel Gibson and the Lethal Weapon team was one of the proudest moments of my career. I will forever be grateful to him for that. Dick genuinely cared about me, my life and my family. We were friends and loved each other far beyond collaborating for the screen and the success that the Lethal Weapon franchise brought us. I will so greatly miss him.”
Stallone, who starred in Donner’s 1995 film Assassins, said, “I enjoyed working with Dick Donner on ‘Assassins.’ He was a man’s man, extremely talented! Great sense of humor, his big laughter was like rolling thunder.”
You can read what the others are saying about Donner in the series of tweets below. Donner will be missed, but he left behind an incredible legacy of films that will continue to carry his legacy as they continue to be enjoyed by fans and introduced to new generations of audiences.
Our hearts and prayers go out to Donner’s family and friends.
Source: Variety