Mike Nichols, Famed Director and Producer, Dies at 83 Years Old

Multi-award winning producer and director, Mike Nichols, died suddenly on November at the age of 83. His passing was announced in a statement by ABC News President James Goldston: “He was a true visionary, winning the highest honors in the arts for his work as a director, writer, producer and comic and was one of a tiny few to win the EGOT– an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony in his lifetime.”

Nichols won his Best Director Oscar for the 1967 film The Graduate, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft. He won two Emmys as producer and one as director. He won his Grammy in 1961 for Best Comedy Album, and he was the recipient of nine Tony Awards, more than any other winner of all four awards.

Mike Nichols began his career in entertainment in comedy, teaming up with Elaine May. The two found fame together but parted ways in the early 60s, and Nichols moved on to directing. His successes on Broadway are legendary and include “Barefoot in the Park” (1963), “The Odd Couple” (1965), “The Prisoner of Second Avenue” (1971). “Annie” (1977), “Whoopi Goldberg” (1984), “Spamalot” (2005) and “Death of a Salesman” (2012).

Among his many silver screen directing credits are: “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966), “Catch-22” (1970), “Silkwood” (1983), “Biloxi Blues” (1988), “Working Girl” (1988) and “Regarding Henry” (1991).

Nichols was married four times. from 1957 to 1960 to Patricia Scott from 1957 to 1960; from 1963 to 1974 to to Margo Callas, the mother of his daughter Daisy; from 1975 to 1986, to Annabel Davis-Goff, the mother of his son Max, and daughter Jenny. He was married to former ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer since April 29, 1988.