Robert A Katz’s family have confirmed the producer has passed away at the age of 79 after a long battle with lung cancer
Image: Katz Family)
Robert A Katz has died at the age of 79 after battling lung cancer, his family has confirmed.
The Oscar – and Emmy-nominated producer’s death was announced on Thursday.
He was best known for projects such as Gettysburg, Selena, and Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and was the co-founder of Esparza/Katz Productions along with Moctesuma Esparza.
Selena was presented with an Imagen Award for Best Picture.
Katz and Esparza worked on over 20 projects together, including Telephone, Granada, and Gods and Generals.
The production company was also a hit on the small screen, producing the likes of Rough Riders, which starred Tom Berenger, and the Halle Berry -featured HBO telefilm Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.
He received an Emmy nomination for outstanding made for TV movie titled Walkout.
He also received an Oscar nomination for the 1987 short film Shoeshine.
Katz was inspired to become a filmmaker after becoming a bush pilot in Africa following his honourable discharge from the US Marines.
During his time with the Marines as a jet fighter pilot he was sent to Israel in the ’60s to help train the country’s Air Force.
He went on to produce more than 70 documentaries for French and American TV channels on the subject of wars of liberation in Africa.
He also became a pioneer in the home video market.
In his exercise projects, Katz worked with the likes of Jane Fonda and Arnold Schwarzenegger as well as many others.
Outside of the film industry, Katz also was the founder of the medical education company Medcom Inc.
Fans of his work took to Twitter following the news to share messages of condolence.
One user wrote: “A moment of silence for Robert A. Katz.”
He is survived by his third wife Patricia Brown and his stepdaughter, Victoria Flores,. He also leaves behind two step-grandchildren, Skyler and Adysun, from a prior marriage to Pamela Katz.
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