Bette Midler has announced the death of director Mark Rydell at the age of 97.
Rydell, who directed Midler in her first movie, The Rose, died Friday morning, the actor said in an Instagram post.
“He was an actor of note before he became a director, and I was so lucky to have met him when I did,” the Hocus Pocus star, 80, wrote, alongside a series of photos of Rydell on set.
“He taught me so much on The Rose and later on For The Boys. Two Oscars nominations both because of him. He was the actor’s whisperer; just a few words was all it took to understand what was needed. Devoted to Meisner. So many happy memories. RIP.”
In 1981, Rydell reflected on working with Midler, telling The New York Times, “She was warm and open and vulnerable. But she’s an authentic genius and needs to be handled with a different kind of delicacy than you’d need to handle Ernie Borgnine.”
Rydell was best known for directing the Oscar-nominated 1981 romance drama On Golden Pond, which starred Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda and his daughter Jane Fonda.
Jane famously approached Rydell to helm the acclaimed movie, which marked her father’s final film role before his death in 1982.
Both Henry and Hepburn went on to win Oscars for their lead performances, while Jane earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Rydell also earned a nod for Best Director.
“I’ve known Jane for a hundred years,” Rydell added to The Times. “I like her. I think she’s a determined, honorable girl. She bought the property for Hank. But I think she also bought it because in life they had dealt with some of the same problems their characters have to deal with in the script: alienation, and ‘I want to be loved by you,’ and ‘I resent you,’ and ‘Where have you been?’ and ‘Why don’t you hold me?’”
Rydell was born March 23, 1929, in New York City. He attended the prestigious Juilliard School of Music, where he trained as a pianist. He began his career in music as a jazz pianist before leaving the world behind due to the popularity of drugs among musicians.
He went back to college and began acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York.
Rydell landed his first significant roles playing Walt Johnson in the long-running classic soap opera The Edge of Night, and Jeff Baker on As the World Turns, from 1956 to 1962.
He formally transitioned to directing in 1963, starting with TV series like Ben Casey, I Spy and Gunsmoke, before making his feature film directorial debut with The Fox in 1967.
He also helmed The Reivers (1969), The Cowboys (1972), Cinderella Liberty (1973), Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) and The River (1984).
He once emphasized the importance of directors acting from time to time, telling The Los Angeles Times in 2002, “I think directors need to stay in touch with the agony of narcissism.
“Actors are extremely brave,” Rydell said. “If they are really good, they are willing to expose all of their personal secrets.... I think directors need to know what it feels like so they can best nurture actors to productive performances.”
Rydell is survived by his three children: actors Amy and Christopher Rydell, from his first marriage to Joanne Linville, and Alexander Rydell, from a previous relationship.
