Lynda Obst was a film producer who helped boost women’s role in Hollywood, best known for movies like “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Interstellar,” “Flashdance,” and “Adventures in Babysitting.”
- Died: October 22, 2024 (Who else died on October 22?)
- Details of death: Died in Los Angeles of COPD at the age of 74.
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Lynda Obst’s legacy
Starting in the 1980s, Obst played a role in bringing nearly 20 films to the big screen, including some now considered modern classics. She began her career in Hollywood as a writer, developing the story for 1983’s “Flashdance” and earning an associate producer credit. This led to a partnership with producer Debra Hill. Together, the pair helped make a string of films, including “Adventures in Babysitting,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” and “The Fisher King.”
When Obst forged out on her own, notable movies followed, including “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Contact,” “Hope Floats,” and “The Siege.” She launched Lynda Obst Productions in 1989 to facilitate her work. The company produced 2014’s hit science fiction film by Christopher Nolan, “Interstellar.”
Credits aside, Obst was best known in Hollywood as a producer who was loyal to those she worked with, a woman who advocated for more women in the industry. She pushed for those she saw as talented to get more work on high-profile film projects, helping them get a foothold when needed.
Before her career as a producer, Obst was a journalist, serving as editor for The New York Times Magazine and the Oscar columnist for New York magazine. She wrote several books, including “Hello, He Lied & Other Tales from the Hollywood Trenches” in 1996 and 2013’s “Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales from the New Abnormal in the Movie Business.”
Notable quote
“The kind of feminism I really extol is action feminism. Go out and make something someone else hasn’t done, empower yourself to do what you were afraid of doing.”—Hollywood Reporter interview, February 2024
Tributes to Lynda Obst
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
