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Who is Richard Donner's wife? 'Superman' and 'Lethal Weapon' director dies at 91

According to Richard Donner's wife, Lauren Shuler Donner, who was also his business manager, the director died on Monday morning, July 5

Legendary Hollywood director, Richard Donner, who was known for helming some of the most iconic movies of the 1970s and '80s including the Christopher Reeve-starrer 'Superman', 'The Goonies' and the Mel Gibson-Danny Glover buddy cop series 'Lethal Weapon', has died. He was 91 years old. According to Donner's wife, Lauren Shuler Donner, who was also his business manager, the director passed away on Monday morning, July 5.

The cause of Donner's death has not been revealed yet. On another sad note, we have witnessed the demise of many great stars in the year 2021. Actors Frank Bonner, Ned Beatty, Lisa Banes' passing was also mourned by the industry recently.

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Writer-director Kevin Smith paid homage to Donner and wrote on Twitter, "Richard Donner made the devil a child in ‘The Omen,’ invented the modern-day comic book movie with “Superman,” and reinvented the buddy cop movie with Lethal Weapon.' I got to meet with him last year about a project. Guy was a natural-born storyteller. Thanks for all the flicks, Dick!"

Famed comic book writer Dan Slott also wrote, "Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN is the DNA, the fundamental building block, that all good superhero movies have been built from. It was the earnest leap of faith, the single bound, that made us all believe that a man could fly."

Donner was hailed back in 2017 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his work on the big screen. He had responded by saying, "This industry is my friend. I love it. I never thought I’d say this, but I want to thank the Academy."  Donner was hugely popular among his co-stars, who always spoke highly of him. His 'Lethal Weapon' lead actor Gibson once said, "There’s true humility about the man (Richard Donner), he refers to himself as a traffic cop, but he’s a f—ing genius." Actor Corey Feldman said Donner "paid for his rehab" years after they worked together on 'The Goonies.' Another 'Goonies' star revealed that Donner paid for his college tuition.

Who is Richard Donner's wife?

The filmmaker’s wife Lauren Shuler Donner, who was also his business manager is an American film producer, who specializes in mainstream youth and family-oriented entertainment. She owned the production company The Donners' Company along with her husband. Their production company is famously known for producing the 'Free Willy' and 'X-Men' franchises. Richard and Lauren were married since 1986.

According to Lauren, she met Donner during the making of 1985′s 'Ladyhawke,' when she was an aspiring producer and had just come out of a divorce. "I was 33. I was trying to get respect and didn’t want to be sleeping with the director," she said. Lauren referred to her husband as "the sexiest man alive." She described her husband as "fun, larger than life, loud, strong, with a big mushy heart." During the tribute by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Donner's work on the big screen, he had said, "What I’ve gotten out of this industry is extraordinary. But I just want to say the greatest thing I did get out of this industry was Lauren Shuler Donner… I can’t say in words how much you mean to me. Words weren’t written."

Donner was born in the Bronx to Jewish parents, Hattie and Fred Schwartzbergand in 1930. He attended Parker Junior College before going to NYU to study business and theater. Donner started out as an actor before directing hit television shows such as 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,' 'The Twilight Zone' and 'The Fugitive.'

'Richard Donner created magic with actors'

Fans took to Twitter in large numbers, remembering the legend and his iconic works. One fan wrote, "Richard Donner always created magic with his actors. This scene...stunning. This is cinema." Another tweet read, "Richard Donner was behind so many beloved classics, but also just a ridiculously nice man. A delight at our Goonies & Lethal Weapon reunions (“Hip-hop! Hip-hop!” he yelled while rounding up Goonies stars), he also sent a thank-you letter after an interview (this *never* happens)." One tweet read, "RIP Richard Donner, the ultimate crowdpleaser. For better or worse, you can draw a direct line to modern movie storytelling from his work—across genre; colliding drama, comedy, & action; translating "IP"; building films into franchises. But he did it better than everyone, first."