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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Glen Powell remembered Lynda Obst as a mentor and “a true trailblazer” in a post on October 22, 2024—the day the producer died, aged 74. Powell said he had interned for Obst after moving to Los Angeles and recalled how she turned the world around her into potential story material.
What did Glen Powell say about Lynda Obst?
In his October 22, 2024, post on X, Powell wrote: “I interned for Lynda when I first moved to LA. A true trailblazer who never missed an opportunity to help me learn. I’d often get to drive her home from the office and witnessed someone who took in everything. To her, the entire world was a great story ripe for the making. RIP.” The tribute was reported by Entertainment Weekly the next day.
How did Powell know Obst?
Powell described his early connection to Obst as an internship. In a later Guardian interview, published October 25, 2025, he gave more detail: he sat on the Sony lot reading scripts for her and said he read three scripts a day. That account came more than a year after the tribute, so it adds context rather than changing what Powell said in 2024.
What films and shows did Lynda Obst work on?
Obst moved from journalism—including work as an editor at The New York Times Magazine—into film development. Her first major film credit was associate producer on Flashdance (1983). She later formed Hill/Obst Productions with producer Debra Hill; their projects included Adventures in Babysitting and The Fisher King.
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From romantic comedy to science fiction
Obst produced Nora Ephron’s This Is My Life and was executive producer of Sleepless in Seattle (1993). Her credits also include Contact (1997), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), and Interstellar (2014). The range of her work crossed genres and roles; she was not associated with only one kind of film.
The Washington Post reported in 2024 that Sleepless in Seattle grossed more than $227 million worldwide. It also reported that Interstellar made more than $681 million during its initial release; that figure is not a lifetime or inflation-adjusted total.
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Books about Hollywood
Obst also wrote about the film business. Her books included Hello, He Lied: And Other Truths from the Hollywood Trenches and Sleepless in Hollywood. The Producers Guild of America says Hello, He Lied spent 10 weeks at number one on the Los Angeles Times best-seller list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How was Obst recognized after her death?
On January 10, 2025, the Producers Guild of America announced that Obst and Paula Weinstein would receive its Trailblazer Award posthumously. The Guild said the award recognized their work opening opportunities for female producers and championing women’s voices. The recognition followed Powell’s tribute; it was not part of his 2024 post.
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The Washington Post reported that Obst died from COPD, citing her brother Rick Rosen. The cause had not been disclosed in the Los Angeles Times’ contemporaneous report.
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