Richard Glatzer Dead: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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Richard Glatzer, the director of the critically acclaimed movie Still Alice, died Wednesday of complications from ALS, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 63.

Glatzer was hospitalized in February with respiratory issues.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Glatzer Has Battled ALS Since 2011

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Glatzer’s condition rapidly deteriorated after his diagnosis, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was only able to communicate by tapping his toe on a specially designed iPad in recent times.

2. He Was Married to Writer Wash Westmoreland/h2>

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Glatzer married Westmoreland in 2013. The couple met in 1995 and worked on several film projects together, including Still Alice.

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In a statement to Deadline.com, Westmoreland said:

I am devastated. Rich was my soul mate, my collaborator, my best friend and my life. Seeing him battle ALS for four years with such grace and courage inspired me and all who knew him. In this dark time, I take some consolation in the fact that he got to see Still Alice go out into the world. He put his heart and soul into that film, and the fact that it touched so many people was a constant joy to him.

3. Julianne Moore Won an Academy Award for Her Role in ‘Still Alice’

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The movie is based on the book by Lisa Genova. Moore won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Alice, who develops early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Glatzer began developing the movie with Westmoreland not long after he was diagnosed with ALS.

4. He Said He Felt a Connection to the Movie’s Main Character

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Glatzer told the New York Times that his own battle with a disease gave him a different perspective on Alice:

Though ALS and Alzheimer’s are very different diseases, it was a very hard read for me. It hit way too close. But when I finished reading, I knew we had to do it.

5. His Film Quinceanera Won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance

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Glatzer and Westmoreland collaborated on the Sundance Film Festival hit Quinceanera in 2006. The film, which had a budget under $500,000 and featuring many first-time actors, was about a Mexican-American family preparing for their daughter’s quinceanera.

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