Famed Hollywood Producer, Al Ruddy, Dies At 94 Years Old

Producer Al Ruddy attends the 2004 AFI awards luncheon in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 14, 2005. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Oscar-winning producer Al Ruddy, famed for movie hits like “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” has died at 94-years-old.

He died on May 25 at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, with his wife, Wanda McDaniel, confirming the news of his death in an Instagram post.

“Among the last words of Albert S. Ruddy: ‘The game is over, but we won the game!’ You slayed the game of life, my darling,” she captioned with a photo of her late husband.

“The void you leave behind is as immense as our love. You were human effervescence, the bubbles in the tonic…You were adored by so many, a Hollywood legend and sweetheart. Rest in peace my unique, urbane, brilliant husband. You are now my heart — always my forever love and my man in the arena.”

His daughter Alexandra, also took to social media to pay tribute to her father, honoring the man he was, his success, and the impact he left on her and those who knew him.

“As soon as I realized I had an ‘old dad’ I was scared for the day I would lose him. But then he lived so long and so bright that I learned to replace the fear of his passing with gratitude for having him,” she wrote.

“Even though my heart is cleaved into two, I am still grateful. He gave us so many gifts until the very end. And while many will honor his accomplishments, it is my honor to be the only person in the world who can say I was his daughter. He was the most unique dad in the world.”

A growing list of celebrities who had worked alongside the Hollywood great also offered their condolences, including Al Pacino, Clint Eastwood, Hillary Swank, and many more.

Arnold Schwarzenegger shared photos via Instagram of himself with Mr. Ruddy, someone he considered a “dear friend and a mentor.” He called him a Hollywood legend, remembering him as an “absolute icon and a visionary who made some of the best movies of all time.”

“He was always there to give me advice and lead me in the right direction. People like Al are why I refuse to be called a self-made man. Where would I be without him? My life wouldn’t be what it is without fantastic people like him who have been there every step of the way,” he said.

Box Office Career

Born in 1930, in Montreal, Canada, Mr. Ruddy was raised in New York City where he attended City College before transferring to USC School of Architecture.

Following his move to the West Coast, he worked as a programmer making Los Angeles his home before eventually finding his passion in writing and producing.

Mr. Ruddy produced more than 40 projects over the course of his nearly 60-year career, and  was also co-creator of hit sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes” and long-running police drama “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

He went on to produce “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” and “Making It” before his career-defining film “The Godfather” in 1971, which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.

The following year, he accepted his first Academy Award for the Francis Ford Coppola classic, after the film took home Best Picture. Mr. Eastwood presented him with the prize, later becoming a full-circle moment when the two won the award for “Million Dollar Baby.”

Mr. Ruddy was one of nine producers to ever win two or more Best Picture Oscars and notably holds the largest interval between winning them at 32 years between awards.

His additional credits include another box-office hit with the original The Longest Yard (1974), The Cannonball Run (1981), and “Matilda (1978).”

In 2004, Mr. Ruddy and Mr. Eastwood took home Best Picture for “Million Dollar Baby,” which also garnered acting Oscars for actors Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman, and a directing nod for Mr. Eastwood.

Mr. Ruddy is survived by his wife, son, daughter, and son-in-law.