Adam Somner, the award-winning assistant director and producer and long-time collaborator of Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson, has died. He is 57 years old.
Somner died of anaplastic thyroid cancer on Wednesday. hollywood reporter Learned.
Born in England, Somner went on to build a successful career in Hollywood, working with legendary filmmakers such as Spielberg, Scorsese, Anderson, Alejandro Ronaldo and Ridley Scott. . His most recent project is Anderson’s untitled Warner Bros. film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Some of the films Somner worked on with Spielberg during his career were west side story, Lincoln, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Ready Player One, bridge of spies and Munich. As for Scorsese, he worked on Killers of the Flower Moon and wolf of wall street. he collaborates with anderson Licorice Pizza, phantom line, inherent bad habits, master and There will be blood. somner collaborates with scott all the money in the world, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Gladiator, hannibal and U.S. Army Jane. He collaborated with Iñárritu The Revenant and Birdman.
Somner Nominated for Oscar for 2021 Licorice Pizzaand received the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Feature Film for his work in the 2015 film The Revenant.
“The title ‘Assistant Director’ doesn’t begin to describe what Adam Somner means to me and what he has done for my films – like my left arm is more than just an assistant to my right hand,” Spielberg Ge wrote in a tribute. “He worked in commercials and as a producer, and he did both with equal dedication. He loved making movies. He loved being on set. That was his gridiron. He was a cheerleader and a ball-carrier, Sometimes I can’t tell if he is following me or I am following him.
The filmmaker continued: “He made everyone who joined the cast feel like they were part of the family. He was a unifier, and when things didn’t go as planned, his working-class British wit and humor could shine through. With his whispered expletives, his laughter and the backup plan he always seemed to have to solve a problem, he was an icon in his field and an inspiration to anyone who wanted to get into production – and it was fully realized that it was both. Creative and organized, returning to work will never be the same without Adam.
Scorsese shared in a statement: “Adam Somner has served as an assistant director and producer on three of my films, but his presence means more to me and the films than any end credits can truly indicate. To be important. Adam has a very special set of qualities – the organizational skills and discipline of a general on the battlefield; the unique ability to work closely with me or any director, like two dancers performing or two musicians playing with each other; Adam Somner embodies and embodies all this with his extraordinary artistry in organizing and choreographing movement in a frame. wolf of wall street or Killers of the Flower Moon We are planning another project without him. He passed away too soon and I will miss him terribly. As he puts it, he likes to “take pictures.” He’s one of the best collaborators I could ever have, and I know my other directors will say the same.
Anderson recalled Somner, writing: “Adam loved making movies more than anyone in the history of the film industry. It was food and drink to him. He made everyone who worked with him feel safe. He suddenly Just seeing everything in every direction and having a backup plan, a backup plan, a backup plan. He moved mountains and trucks and people like he was moving salt shakers on tables. It was such a privilege to watch him work. He knew how to make better movies than anyone. His instincts and talent were second only to his humor and love, and to those of us who were lucky enough to work with him, he was generous. Knowing that the work will never be the same fun. I would rank him as a legend like Kobe Bryant, Mick Jagger, Winston Churchill and that would lead to a low price.
Somna is survived by his wife, Carmen Ruiz de Huidobro; his children, Olivia and Bosco; and his brother, Mark Somner.
DGA will establish a scholarship in Somner’s name and donation details will be announced soon.
