Martha De Laurentiis Health Condition Before Death Revealed; Famed Producer of 'Hannibal,' 'Firestarter,' and More Was 67
Martha De Laurentiis, a famed Hollywood producer whose works include some of the most iconic films of all time, has passed away at the age of 67.
Her close friend, a TV writer and producer, Bryan Fuller, took to his Instagram account to share the devastating news.
"What an amazing lady. Martha De Laurentiis left us early this morning peacefully with her family at her side. Long live Martha and her brilliant legacy," he wrote.
According to Variety, the late producer suffered from brain cancer for a long time before she passed away.
Her daughter, Dina De Laurentiis, also issued a statement, saying her mother was a "warm, generous, and optimistic soul."
Martha was the wife of another famed producer, Dino De Laurentiis, who tragically died at the age of 91 in 2010.
Born Martha Schumacher, the writer spent her early days in Piqua, Ohio. She was fond of beauty pageants at a very young age and was crowned as the state's Junior Miss in 1972.
After high school, she went on to have a brief modelling career in New York while studying college at Ball State University.
Her production career started in popular movies like "Wolfen" and "The Warriors." Martha later joined her husband's company, Dino De Laurentiis Communications, as an assistant production accountant for the film "Ragtime" and Stephen King's movie adaptation of "Firestarter."
The couple joined forces to establish the Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina.
In their company, Martha became a producer of other film adaptations of Stephen King such as "Maximum Overdrive," "Cat's Eye," "Silver Bullet", and many more.
By the early 90s, the couple also built another production house called De Laurentiis Co., which is the co-producer behind the movies "The Last Legion," "Hannibal," "U-571." and more.
After her husband passed away in 2010, Martha took on the role of the head of their company.
Martha De Laurentiis is survived by her partner, Dr Randy Sherman, and her children, Carolyna and Dina.
Fans Paid Tribute To Martha De Laurentiis
After the news of her death circulated online, many fans took to Bryan Fuller's comment section to express their sadness over the shocking news.
"Sad news. She was a wonderful lady and strong fighter . RIP Martha the #fannibalfamily will miss you," one fan wrote.
"She's w Dino again.. thankful for the projects both of them supported in the genre. RIP Martha," another fan wrote.
"Oh my god. My heart. I'm so heartbroken. Rest In Peace Martha," one commented.
