Director Garry Marshall dead at 81
Garry Marshall has passed away at 81. The director died from complications of pneumonia following a stroke on Tuesday at a hospital in Burbank, California, his publicist confirmed.
The prolific writer, director and producer's career spanned several decades in both TV and film, starting with hit sitcoms like "Happy Days" and "The Odd Couple" before Marshall moved onto directing Hollywood films like "Beaches," "Pretty Woman" and "The Other Sister."
The native New Yorker, who was born in the Bronx, switched careers after first working as a reporter for the New York Daily News.
Marshall majored in journalism at Northwestern University. After leaving the newspaper, Marshall moved to Los Angeles in 1961 to write for TV shows like "The Dick Van Dyke Show." In 1970, he started working as a TV producer on "The Odd Couple," then produced "Happy Days," "Laverne and Shirley" and "Mork and Mindy."
Marshall spent the 1980s directing films, but his true breakout came in 1990 with "Pretty Woman," which also turned Julia Roberts into one of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Marshall directed several films through the 1990s and 2000s, including "The Princess Diaries" and "Runaway Bride."
He also continued his working relationship and friendship with Roberts through the end of his career, on 2016's film "Mother's Day."
Marshall's funeral services will be private, though a memorial is being planned for his birthday on November 13. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Sue Marshall, three children and six grandchildren.