Mike Nichols, a legendary figure in the field of entertainment, a renowned writer, director and producer has finally departed. His achievements are beyond compare, having won an Oscar in 1967 for the "The Graduate" and a nominee for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," "Silkwood" and "Working Girl."
As theatre director and producer, he was a recipient of 10 Tony Awards for "Annie and the Real Thing" including his works "Barefoot in the Park," "The Prisoner of Second Avenue," "Odd Couple," and "Death of A Salesman."
The Deadline reported that Broadway's Emanuel Azenderg, Nichols co-producer of "The Real Thing" speak of his worth, saying that, "He was a giant who could convince people to be better than they were."
83 year-old Nichols passed away on Wednesday night, and his death was announced by President James Goldston of ABC News, Thursday. He said, "He was a true visionary, winning the highest honors in the arts for his work as a director, writer, producer and comic and was one of a tiny few to win the EGOT - an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony in his lifetime. No one was more passionate about his craft than Mike..."
He was married to Diane Sawyer with whom he spent 26 long years of blissful union. They were blessed with three children, Daisy, Max and Jenny and four grandkids. His family will have a private service in his honour and a memorial is a scheduled at a later date, The Deadline revealed.
Considered to be a great loss in the industry, Nichols legacy will hopefully remain and treasured by those who look up to him for guidance and tutelage. Much has been achieved through his efforts and his unyielding commitment to his craft gave birth to a number of actors trained under his expertise.
"Charlie Wilson's War" starring Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2007 was Nichol's last stint as film director.
