Logo

Deadline, TVWeek, YouTube

Oscar-Nominated Director and Former Academy President Dies

Aug 17, 2016  •  Post A Comment

An acclaimed movie director who received an Oscar nomination and was president of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the Directors Guild of America has died. Deadline.com reports that Arthur Hiller died today in Los Angeles.

Hiller, 92, died of natural causes.

Hiller was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director in 1971 for “Love Story.” He received the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2002.

He also had a 1962 Emmy nomination, for directing episodes of “Naked City,” and won the Golden Globe for Best Director in 1971 for “Love Story.”

Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved friend Arthur Hiller. I was a member of the Board during his presidency and fortunate enough to witness firsthand his dedication to the Academy and his lifelong passion for visual storytelling. Our condolences go out to his loved ones.”

Deadline reports: “The Canada-born Hiller’s career spanned five decades, starting in TV in the mid-’50s with credits including ‘Playhouse 90,’ ‘Perry Mason,’ ‘Gunsmoke,’ ‘Route 66’ and ‘The Rifleman.’ Jumping into feature films in the early 1960s, his early credits include ‘The Americanization of Emily,’ his own personal favorite and a movie that has aged very well, and the Ryan O’Neal-Ali MacGraw romancer ‘Love Story,’ which earned him the Oscar nom.”

Hiller had a strong run in the 1970s, directing favorites including “The Out-of-Towners” (1970), “Plaza Suite” (1971) and “The In-Laws” (1979).

Here’s a clip of the presentation of the Hersholt Award to Hiller in 2002 by “Love Story” stars Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw.

Your Comment

Email (will not be published)