Irvin Kershner, most widely known as the visionary director of The Empire Strikes Back, died Nov. 27 in Los Angeles of lung cancer. He was 87.
The filmmaker was best known for his work as the director of The Empire Strikes Back and a number of other films, he also taught courses at USC and had an extensive career in film and television spanning 40 years as a writer, cinematographer, editor, and director.
After taking courses at USC at the start of his career, he worked as a documaker for the U.S. Information Service. Subsequently, he worked on the Emmy-award winning documentary series, “Confidential File”. Over the years, he worked with Roger Corman, Sean Connery, Barbara Streisand, Robert Shaw, George C. Scott, Richard Harris, Faye Dunaway, Eva Marie Saint, and more.
Mr. Kershner was awarded with a lifetime achievement award earlier this year by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films.
Though accomplished on many fronts, Kershner made a lasting impact on pop culture with his vision for the sequel to George Lucas’ original Star Wars film. Kershner breathed life, depth, humor, and maturity to the franchise with the “middle act” of the original trilogy.
Per an article published by CNN today, Director Francis Ford Coppola, a long-time friend, described Kershner as “indomitable.”
“We all enjoyed knowing Kersh, learning from him — and admired his creative spirit and indomitable will,” Coppola said in a statement released by Kershner’s publicists. “It was always exciting to talk with him about all aspects of cinema and life.”
Jason DeBord