Charles Shyer, ‘Father of the Bride’ director, dies at 83
Charles Shyer, an Oscar-nominated writer, director and producer whose credits include “Father of the Bride,” “Private Benjamin” and other celebrated comedies, has died.
After a brief illness, Shyer died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He was 83.
“It’s with an indescribably heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved father Charles Shyer’s passing,” Shyer’s family told Deadline in a statement. “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.”
L.A.-born Shyer was the son of pioneer filmmaker Melville Shyer, a founding member of the Directors Guild of America.
After attending UCLA, the younger Shyer landed in DGA’s apprentice program but soon pivoted to writing. He got his start as a scribe for sitcoms, including “The Odd Couple” and “The Partridge Family,” before breaking into movies with the 1977 blockbuster “Smokey and the Bandit.”
Shyer’s breakthrough arrived three years later as co-writer for “Private Benjamin,” teaming up with Harvey Miller and Nancy Meyers, who he married the same year.
The 1980 film starring Goldie Hawn scored the trio an Oscar nomination, and Shyer and Meyers went on to collaborate on several popular comedies such as “Baby Boom,” “Irreconcilable Differences” and “Father of the Bride,” a remake of the 1950 classic.
Shyer and Meyers collaborated on the screenplay for “The Parent Trap,” the 1998 hit featuring Lindsay Lohan in her big-screen debut, which Meyers directed. The couple split the following year.
Meyers on Saturday posted a black-and-white photo of Shyer and her looking at each other and smiling on Instagram.
Lohan replied to the post with an emoji of a breaking heart.
Shyer and Meyers had two daughters, Annie and writer-director Hallie Meyers-Shyer. Shyer is also survived by Jacob and Sophia Shyer, twins from a subsequent marriage that ended in divorce.
Meyers-Shyer, who made her filmmaking debut in 2017 with rom-com “Home Again,” posted a photo of her late father on her Instagram story along with the caption “A complete original.”
