Charles Shyer, Oscar-nominated Private Benjamin writer and Father of the Bride director, dies at 83

Charles Shyer, the writer and director behind some of the most memorable comedies of their eras, has passed away at the age of 83.

Charles Shyer’s first film credit – after penning episodes of The Odd Couple and Happy Days – came with 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit, lending to what would become a fast-paced, quip-filled comedy that would be one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. Shyer would garner more industry attention with the following year’s House Calls, sharing a WGA nomination.

He would go on to win a Writers Guild of America Award for Private Benjamin, which found Goldie Hawn as a privileged 20-something who joins the army. Shyer, along with a team that also included frequent collaborator and one-time wife Nancy Meyers, would be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

While Private Benjamin would end up being Charles Shyer’s most defining work (it would later land on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 funniest movies ever made), 1984’s Irreconcilable Differences allowed him to finally step behind the camera. Following that, Shyer continued almost exclusively in writer/director mode, giving us the enjoyable Baby Boom (1987), the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride and its sequel, and the Jude Law-starring update of Alfie. You may have even found yourself catching a Charles Shyer movie this month, as he co-wrote Best. Christmas. Ever!, starring Jason Biggs and Heather Graham.

The family of Shyer gave the following statement to Deadline: “It’s with an indescribably heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved father, Charles Shyer’s passing. His loss leaves an unfillable hole in our lives, but his legacy lives on through his children and the five decades of wonderful work he’s left behind. We honor the extraordinary life he led and know there will never be another quite like him.”

Other credits of Charles Shyers include Jack Nicholson’s second directorial outing Goin’ South (1978), 1992’s Once Upon a Crime, 1994’s I Love Trouble, and 1998’s The Parent Trap.

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