Mark Rydell, the filmmaker behind the beloved 1981 drama “On Golden Pond,” passed away at the age of 97. The director died on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. His daughter, Amy Rydell, confirmed that he died of natural causes.
Amy Rydell shared a touching message on Instagram following her father’s death.
“Hard to put into words how much I loved my dad. He was truly one of a kind. Funniest and most talented person I’ve ever known.”
She also wrote, “I am so grateful to be his daughter. RIP love your fatso potato chip.”
Bette Midler Leads Tributes for the Director
Actress Bette Midler was among the first to share the news publicly. She posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, remembering the director who gave her a start in films.
“Mark Rydell, the director of my first film, The Rose, died this morning. He was an actor of note before he became a director, and I was so lucky to have met him when I did; he taught me so much on The Rose and later on For The Boys.”
Midler credited Rydell for her two Academy Award nominations and described his unique talent for working with actors.
“Two Oscars nominations both because of him. He was the actor’s whisperer; just a few words was all it took to understand what was needed. Devoted to Meisner. So many happy memories.”
The Legacy of ‘On Golden Pond’
“On Golden Pond” remains Rydell’s most famous work. The film starred Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn as an aging couple spending a summer at their New England lake house. The movie earned 10 Academy Award nominations. Henry Fonda won his only competitive Oscar for his performance, and Katharine Hepburn won her fourth Best Actress award. The film also won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Rydell received a Best Director nomination for the film but lost to Warren Beatty for “Reds”.
At the box office, “On Golden Pond” earned over $119 million, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 1981 behind “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.
A Career Spanning Decades
Rydell began his career as an actor. He was born Mortimer H. Rydell on March 23, 1929, in New York City. He studied piano at Juilliard and later trained as an actor at the Neighborhood Playhouse. He found early success on the CBS soap opera “As the World Turns,” where he played Jeff Baker during the 1950s.
He transitioned to directing television, helming episodes of popular shows like “I Spy,” “The Wild Wild West,” “The Fugitive,” and “Gunsmoke”. His feature film directorial debut came in 1967 with “The Fox,” starring Sandy Dennis.
Throughout his career, Rydell directed some of Hollywood’s biggest names. His filmography includes “The Reivers” with Steve McQueen, “The Cowboys” with John Wayne, “Cinderella Liberty” with James Caan, and “The Rose” and “For the Boys” with Bette Midler.
Rydell also continued acting throughout his life. He appeared in Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye” (1973), Sydney Pollack’s “Havana” (1990), and Woody Allen’s “Hollywood Ending” (2002).
Remembering an Actor’s Director
Rydell was widely respected for his ability to draw strong performances from actors. He guided Rupert Crosse in “The Reivers,” Marsha Mason in “Cinderella Liberty,” Sissy Spacek in “The River,” and Bette Midler in both “The Rose” and “For the Boys” to Oscar nominations.
His peers often called him an “actor’s director” because he understood performers so well. He studied with Sanford Meisner and was known for giving actors simple, effective direction.
Rydell is survived by his three children: Amy, Christopher, and Alexander, as well as his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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