Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Oscar-winning screenwriter Larry McMurtry has died. McMurtry passed away on Thursday night of heart failure according to his reps.
The author of 29 novels and more than 30 screenplays, he was famous for sticking to a routine of writing five pages a day – no more, no less – on a manual typewriter. He did it every single day, seven days a week, even on holiday.
McMurtry’s books led to the award-winning films “Hud,” “The Last Picture Show” and “Terms of Endearment” along with famed mini-series “Lonesome Dove”.
McMurty scored an Oscar nomination for adapting “the Last Picture Show,” and then he and longtime writing partner Diana Ossana won an Oscar for turning Annie Proulx’s short story “Brokeback Mountain” into the multiple award-winning 2005 feature.
Other works include “Streets of Laredo,” “Buffalo Girls,” “The Evening Star,” “Texasville,” “Falling From Grace” and their most recent collaboration “Good Joe Bell” which stars Mark Wahlberg and releases later this year.
Asked once why Hollywood is so keen on adapting his works, he responded that he writes the kind of big characters big-name actors want to play and the star system is still the fastest way to get projects greenlit.
McMurtry reportedly died surrounded by family including wife Norma Faye and Diana Ossana.
Source: THR
