Oscar-winning director Robert Benton dead at 92
Robert Benton, the Oscar-winning director behind beloved movies such as Kramer vs Kramer, has died aged 92.
His longtime assistant and manager has confirmed Benton’s death. Additionally, according to Benton’s son, John, the celebrated director died at his home in Manhattan due to natural causes.
Benton personally won two Academy Awards with the divorce drama Kramer vs Kramer for ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium’. The film also won ‘Best Picture’, Dustin Hoffman was named ‘Best Actor’ and Meryl Streep took home ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for her performance.
His first step into the realm of cinema came with his co-writing credit for the 1967 classic Bonnie and Clyde, which won two Oscars and made him in-demand in Hollywood. However, it took him four years of hard work to get the film off the ground before it changed his life forever.
On his life before the movie industry, Benton once revealed: I had been working as an art director at Esquire and I got fired. I decided to write a screenplay. I am dyslexic. I cannot spell or punctuate. I knew a young editor at Esquire, a wonderful writer, David Newman. I sold him on the glamorous life of the Hollywood screenwriter.”
As well as being a writer on Superman, Benton’s other notable credits included What’s Up, Doc?, The Late Show, Still of the Night and Places in the Heart, the latter of which landed him his third Oscar.
Benton’s last film as a director, Feast of Love, starring Morgan Freeman and Greg Kinnear, was released in 2007.
The filmmaker was believed to be writing a memoir before his death. He is survived by his son, John.
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