Charles Shyer, 'Father of the Bride,' 'Private Benjamin' director, dies at 83: Reports
Charles Shyer, the Hollywood director and producer known for the '90s "Father of the Bride" remake films and 1980's "Private Benjamin," has died, according to multiple reports. He was 83.
Shyer's family confirmed the Oscar-nominated screenwriter died on Friday in a statement to Deadline. Shyer's daughter, writer and director Hallie Meyers-Shyer, told The Hollywood Reporter he died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a brief illness.
"It's with an indescribably heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved father, Charles Shyer's passing," the family statement to Deadline read. "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," the statement concluded.
Paste BN has reached out to representatives for Shyer's daughter Hallie for further comment.
On Saturday, Hallie shared a throwback portrait of her father in her Instagram Stories, writing: "1941-2024 🤍 A complete original."
Her mother, Nancy Meyers, director of "The Holiday," shared a touching tribute to her ex-husband on Instagram, simply sharing two photos of the two working on set together. "Charles Shyer 1941 -2024 💔" she captioned the pictures.
Paste BN reached out to Meyers' representatives for comment.
The two were married from 1980 to 1999 and have two children together, Annie Meyers-Shyer and Hallie Meyers-Shyer.
In March 2020, Meyers penned an essay for the Daily Mail UK on how she found her happy ending after her divorce from Shyer.
"Having written my share of romantic comedies, I enjoy a happy ending, and I think Charles and I have finally found ours. I am no longer almost 70; I am 70, and it turns out my 69th year came to a close with a surprise: it brought me a new relationship with Charles that can best be described as 'old friends,' " she wrote.
Beyond their personal love story, the two made movie magic with their first screenplay together, "Private Benjamin" starring Goldie Hawn and Eileen Brennan.
In 1984, Shyer made his directorial debut with "Irreconcilable Differences," starring a young Drew Barrymore, which he co-wrote with Meyers. The two also worked on Meyers' directorial debut, 1998's "The Parent Trap," starring Lindsay Lohan.
But their biggest success as a creative duo was perhaps 1991's "Father of the Bride," which served as a remake of the 1950 classic. Meyers and Shyer's "Father of the Bride" starred Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Martin Short, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Kieran Culkin and Eugene Levy.
In 1995, the two co-wrote the sequel "Father of the Bride Part II." Most recently, director Gary Alazraki tried his hand at another "Father of the Bride" reboot with the 2022 HBO Max film starring Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan and Adria Arjona.
Shyer's other film credits include "The Affair of the Necklace" (starring Hilary Swank), "Alfie" (with Jude Law), "The Noel Diary" (Justin Hartley), "Baby Boom" (Keaton) and "I Love Trouble" (Julia Roberts).
Born in Los Angeles in 1941 to Lois Delaney and Melville Shyer, Shyer attended the University of California, Los Angeles, and worked at the Directors Guild of America as an assistant director. His father was one of the founders of the DGA as well.
He began his career writing for sitcoms like "The Odd Couple" and "The Patridge Family," and he broke into movie-making with the 1977 box office hit "Smokey and the Bandit," which starred Burt Reynolds and Sally Field.
Shyer is survived by his daughters Annie and Hallie, and twins Jacob and Sophia, born during his third marriage to Deborah Lynn Shyer.