Albert S Ruddy, the Hollywood film and television producer who earned best picture Academy Awards for both The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby, has died peacefully following a brief illness. He was 94.
Born in Montreal and raised in New York City, Ruddy began his entertainment career as creator, with Bernie Fein, of sixties TV sitcom Hogan’s Heroes. He produced features including Robert Redford drama Little Fauss And Big Halsy before being brought in by Paramount as sole producer of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, for which he won his first Oscar in 1973.
Ruddy later served as executive producer on The Offer, the limited streaming series that chronicled his experience producing The Godfather.
His other features included Burt Reynolds hits The Longest Yard, The Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II and Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby, which won him his second Oscar in 2005.
He also co-created the 1990s TV series Walker, Texas Ranger.
Ruddy’s other career honours included two French César Awards, two Italian David di Donatello Awards and the USC Scripter Award.
In a statement, The Godfather star Al Pacino commented: “Al Ruddy was absolutely beautiful to me the whole time on The Godfather; even when they didn’t want me, he wanted me. He gave me the gift of encouragement when I needed it most and I’ll never forget it.”
Eastwood said: “He was a great friend of mine and I will deeply miss him.”
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