LOS ANGELES — Producer and director Gilbert Cates, who oversaw a record 14 Academy Awards ceremonies and founded the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, has died. He was 77.
Cates collapsed Monday evening at the University of California, Los Angeles. The cause of death was not immediately known.
Cates last produced the Oscar telecast in 2008, when the ceremony was almost sidelined by the Writers Guild strike.
He was comfortable at the helm of the show, calling it “an absolutely great job.” He produced more Academy Awards telecasts than anyone else and brought in comedians such as Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart and Steve Martin to host the show.
Cates founded the School of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA. He was its dean from 1990 to 1998 and remained on the faculty as a professor.
Cates twice served as president of the Directors Guild of America and was on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He produced and directed films, television shows and plays on and off Broadway. His film credits include 1970’s “I Never Sang for My Father” with Gene Hackman, and 1980’s “Oh God! Book II” with George Burns.
He produced and directed plays at the Geffen Playhouse, where he was regarded as “our founder, our leader and our heart,” according to a statement issued Tuesday.
