Father of the Bride director Charles Shyer, best known for penning the Oscar-nominated Private Benjamin alongside Nancy Meyers, died at age 82 on Friday.
His family confirmed his passing in a statement to Variety.
‘It’s with an indescribably heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved father, Charles Shyer’s passing,’ his loved ones said. ‘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.’
He and Meyers, who were married for 19 years until divorcing in 1999, famously wrote Private Benjamin (1980).
The film, which earned a nod at the 53th Academy Awards for original screenplay, was among their many successful collaborations during the 1980s and 1990s.
The collaboration resulted in star Goldie Hawn, receiving a Best Actress nomination for her portrayal of young socialite who joins the army on a whim.
Father of the Bride director Charles Shyer, best known for penning the Oscar-nominated Private Benjamin alongside Nancy Meyers, died at age 82 on Friday; seen in 2022
During his career, he also received critical acclaim for directing and co-writing Baby Boom with Meyers.
The comedy starring Diane Keaton shed a light on the struggle of being a single mom and trying to balance work and homelife.
Shyer re-teamed with Keaton to helm the heart-warming Father of the Bride which hit theaters in 1991.
He and Meyers updated the story from the original 1950 comedy starring Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor to huge success and just like the original, it resulted in a sequel in 1995.
The prolific write updated the story of the Disney classic The Parent Trap (1998) starring Lindsay Lohan as the twins separated by their divorced parents, played by Dennis Quaid and the late Natasha Richardson.
Shyer grew up on Hollywood, the son of veteran assistant director Melvin Shyer and got an early start writing on sitcoms such as The Odd Couple and The Partridge Family.
He broke into film with writing partner Alan Mandel, penning the 1977 blockbuster hit Smokey and the Bandit, starring Burt Reynolds and Sally Field.
The action comedy about a runaway bride who is picked up by a bootlegger in a Trans Am was one of the highest earning films of the year, earning $126.7 million at the box office.
Shyer and his ex-wife, write and director Nancy Meyers, earned a Best Writing Academy Award nomination for 1980’s Saving Private Ryan. Goldie Hawn, who played the socialite turned army recruit also received a Best Actress nomination
Shyer co-wrote the script and directed 1991’s Father of the Bride, with Steve Martin as the title character and Kimberly Williams Paisley as the daughter. The film was as popular as the 1950 original and like that film resulted in a sequel, Father of the Bride Part II
The prolific write updated the story of the Disney classic The Parent Trap (1998) starring Lindsay Lohan as the twins separated by their divorced parents, played by Dennis Quaid and the late Natasha Richardson
Shyer broke into film with writing partner Alan Mandel, penning the 1977 blockbuster hit Smokey and the Bandit, starring Burt Reynolds and Sally Field. The action comedy was one of the highest earning films of the year, earning $126.7 million at the box office
Shyer is survived by his daughters Hallie Meyers-Shyer, 37, Annie Meyers-Shyer, 44, and Sophia Shyer, 18, and son Jacob, 18. His exact cause of death has not been revealed, at this time (Pictured in New York City in October 2004)
The writer made his big screen directing debut with 1984’s Irreconcilable Differences starring Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Long and a young Drew Barrymore.
Shyer remained active to the end, directing Justin Hartley and Barrett Doss in the 2023 drama The Noel Diary, a project in which he co-wrote the script.
He also co-wrote the 2023 Netflix holiday comedy Best. Christmas. Ever. starring Brandy Norwood, Heather Graham and Jason Biggs.
Shyer is survived by his daughters Hallie Meyers-Shyer, 37, Annie Meyers-Shyer, 44, and Sophia Shyer, 18, and son Jacob, 18. His exact cause of death has not been revealed, at this time.