Lynda Obst, the veteran film and TV producer behind films such as "Sleepless in Seattle," "Flashdance," "The Fisher King" and "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," among many others, died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 74.
"My mom was a trailblazer and a fierce advocate for women. Also, she was an amazing mother, sister and best friend," her son, Oly Obst, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "(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."
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He said his mother died at her Los Angeles home Tuesday surrounded by loved ones.
Her four decades of credits also include producing the movies "Adventures in Babysitting," "Contact," "Interstellar" and the show "Hot in Cleveland," which aired on TV Land.
Obst revealed in February to The Hollywood Reporter her diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, more commonly known as COPD. The often fatal respiratory disease is often brought on by smoking. Obst described herself as a passionate smoker from age 16 until her 2018 diagnosis.
"I very much want people to know that you could be the one hit with the fickle finger of fate, and I want to be clear what the consequences of smoking are," Obst told the publication. "It's not the way you want to spend your retirement or your last 10, 20 or 30 years."
Obst said she relied on a portable oxygen device to help her breathe.
In addition to her impressive list of credits across various projects, Obst was widely recognized in the industry as a strong advocate for women in Hollywood.
She was born on April 14, 1950, in New York City and was raised in Harrison, a Westchester County suburb. Obst studied philosophy at Pomona College as an undergrad and later at Columbia University for graduate school.
Obst began her career as an editor at The New York Times before relocating to Los Angeles with her then-husband, David Obst. She joined The Geffen Film Company, where her first major accomplishment was helping to develop the scripts that would later become "Flashdance."
In 1986, Obst formed a partnership with film producer Debra Hill, which led to the production of "Adventures in Babysitting," "Heartbreak Hotel" and "The Fisher King," among other films.
Obst and Hill eventually went their separate ways. Obst continued her career as an in-studio producer, producing films such as "Sleepless in Seattle," "One Fine Day," "Someone Like You," "Contact," "Hope Floats" and "The Siege."
In 1989, Obst founded her own production company, Lynda Obst Productions. In 2009, she produced "The Invention of Lying," co-written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson.
In 2014, Obst co-produced the science-fiction drama "Interstellar" alongside director Christopher Nolan.
In addition to her work in film, Obst authored the memoir "Hello, He Lied," which was published in 1996 and explored her experiences in the modern studio system.
According to her website, Obst had two projects in development at the time of her death: "Voyagers" and "K-Pop: Lost in America."
Obst is survived by her son, Oly, and her younger brother, Rick Rosen, one of the founders of the Endeavor talent agency.
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