Biography
Mark Rydell (born Mortimer H. Rydell) was an American actor, film director and producer. Born in New York City on 23 March 1929, he trained initially in music at the Juilliard School and began his career as an actor, appearing in Broadway productions and television series including As the World Turns (1956–1962). He later took notable acting roles such as Marty Augustine in Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye (1973) and Al in Woody Allen’s Hollywood Ending (2002).
Rydell moved into directing in the 1960s, helming episodes of series such as Gunsmoke and The Wild Wild West. His feature films include The Fox (1967), The Reivers (1969), The Cowboys (1972), Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Rose (1979), On Golden Pond (1981) — for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director — The River (1984), For the Boys (1991) and Intersection (1994). He also directed the television films James Dean (2001) and Even Money (2006). Rydell died on 13 August 2026 in Woodland Hills, California.
