Mark Rydell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Rydell
Rydell in 2008
Born	Mortimer H. Rydell (1929-03-23) March 23, 1929 (age 96) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, director, producer
Spouse(s)	Joanne Linville ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1973)​ Esther Rydell ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 2007)​
Children	3, including Christopher Rydell

Mark Rydell (born Mortimer H. Rydell; March 23, 1929) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has directed many popular films. Some of these movies were nominated for Academy Awards. These include The Fox (1967), The Reivers (1969), Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Rose (1979), and The River (1984). He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for his work on On Golden Pond (1981).

Mark Rydell: His Acting Career

Mark Rydell first studied music. When he was young, he hoped to become a conductor. Later, he decided to study acting. He attended The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.

His first important acting jobs were on TV shows. He played Walt Johnson on The Edge of Night. He also played Jeff Baker on As the World Turns from 1956 to 1962. His role as Jeff was very popular with viewers. While working on the TV series, he also directed a play called Roots off-Broadway in 1961.

In 1962, Rydell chose not to sign another long-term contract for As the World Turns. Because of this, his character was written out of the show. Later, he received praise for his role as Marty Augustine in Robert Altman's film The Long Goodbye (1973). His most recent major film role was in Woody Allen's movie Hollywood Ending (2002).

Directing TV Shows

Mark Rydell began directing television shows and quickly became very successful. He directed episodes for many popular series. These included Mr. Novak, Ben Casey, The Reporter, Slattery's People, I Spy, The Wild Wild West, The Long, Hot Summer, and Gunsmoke.

Rydell explained his directing style. He liked to spend a lot of time discussing the script. He would work with actors to help them understand their characters. He also made sure actors felt comfortable in the filming locations.

Directing Movies

Rydell's first movie as a director was The Fox (1967). This film was a success at the box office. He signed a contract for several movies with the film's producer, Raymond Stross. However, he did not enjoy working with Stross. Rydell said he paid a lot of money to end that contract early. Still, he gave Stross credit for helping him start his film career.

He directed Steve McQueen in the movie The Reivers (1969). Rydell and his friend Sydney Pollack formed a company called Sanford Productions. They had known each other since they were both actors. They signed a contract to make six movies with the Mirisch Brothers.

Rydell directed John Wayne in The Cowboys (1972). He also made a romantic comedy called Cinderella Liberty (1973). This movie starred James Caan and Marsha Mason. Around this time, he said he wanted to create his own unique style of films. He worked with James Caan again on Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976). This movie did not do well at the box office. He also directed the first episode of the TV series Family (1976).

Rydell directed The Rose (1979), starring Bette Midler. This film was a huge success. Another big hit was On Golden Pond (1981). It starred famous actors Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn. Rydell received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for this film. He joked at the time, "I'm this week's heat."

He then directed The River (1984). This movie starred Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek. However, it was not a commercial success. Rydell's next film, For the Boys (1991), also did not do well. It starred James Caan and Bette Midler.

Rydell directed the TV movie McBride and Groom (1993). He also directed the feature film Intersection (1994). He continued to direct TV movies, including Crime of the Century (1996). This movie starred Isabella Rossellini and Stephen Rea. He also directed James Dean (2001), which helped actor James Franco win a Golden Globe award. Rydell also acted in James Dean, playing Jack L. Warner. He was an executive producer for An Unfinished Life (2005).

In 2006, Rydell directed the movie Even Money. His last directing credit was an episode of Masters of Science Fiction called "A Clean Escape."

Later, Rydell worked with actor Martin Landau and writer Lyle Kessler. They created an educational event called The Total Picture Seminar. This two-day event teaches about acting, directing, and writing for films. The three have worked together for many years at The Actors Studio. They teach and coach professional actors, writers, and directors. In 2010, Rydell joined the Advisory Board of Openfilm. This is an online video sharing site that helps new independent filmmakers.

He was an executive producer for the documentary A Coup in Camelot (2015).

Personal Life

Mortimer H. Rydell was born on March 23, 1929, in New York City. His family was Jewish.

Rydell married actress Joanne Linville in 1962. They had two children, Amy and Christopher, who both became actors. Rydell and Linville divorced in 1973. Rydell had another son, Alexander, with his second wife, Esther Rydell. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2007.

Filmography

As Director

Movies

• The Fox (1967)
• The Reivers (1969)
• The Cowboys (1972)
• Cinderella Liberty (1973)
• Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976)
• The Rose (1979)
• On Golden Pond (1981)
• The River (1984)
• For the Boys (1991)
• Intersection (1994)
• Even Money (2006)

Television

• The Phil Silvers Show (1955)
• Mr. Novak (1964)
• Ben Casey (1963–64)
• The Reporter (1964)
• Slattery's People (1965)
• I Spy (1965)
• The Wild Wild West (1966)
• The Long, Hot Summer (1965–66)
• The Fugitive (1966)
• Gunsmoke (1964–66)
• Family (1976)
• McBride and Groom (1993)
• Crime of the Century (TV movie) (1996)
• James Dean (TV movie) (2001)
• Masters of Science Fiction (episode "A Clean Escape") (2007)

As Actor

• Crime in the Streets (1956) as Lou Macklin
• The Long Goodbye (1973) as Marty Augustine
• Punchline (1988) as Romeo
• Havana (1990) as Meyer Lansky
• A Man Is Mostly Water (2000) as Distributor
• Hollywood Ending (2002) as Al
• Senior Entourage (2020) as Mark