Overview
- Rydell died on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at age 97 and his daughter Amy Rydell confirmed the death to The Hollywood Reporter.
- His daughter said he died of natural causes in a film‑industry care facility in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, and no further details about services have been reported.
- Rydell earned a Best Director Oscar nomination for On Golden Pond, the 1981 film that received ten Academy Award nominations and won three Oscars.
- He directed The Rose (1979), which gave Bette Midler her first major film role, and Midler publicly paid tribute to him on Instagram after his death.
- Born Mortimer Rydell in New York in 1929, he trained at Juilliard, moved from acting into directing in the 1960s, worked with major stars across decades, and is survived by three children plus grandchildren and great‑grandchildren.