RIP Mike Nichols

Today brings sad news that legendary director Mike Nichols passed away at age 83.

Born to German-Jewish parents, Nichols' family fled Germany in 1939 and settled in New York City. Nichols pursued an acting career and played various minor roles on stage, winding up in Chicago with the Compass Players. He gained notice playing opposite comedienne Elaine May in a satirical revue, An Evening With Mike Nichols and Elaine May, which made its way to Broadway under Arthur Penn's direction.

Nichols soon moved to directing theater: among other works, he headed Broadway productions of Barefoot in the Park, Luv and The Odd Couple. He won an Oscar nomination for his debut feature, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, but it was The Graduate that cemented Nichols' place in cinema history. Nichols continued directing well-received films for decades: Carnal Knowledge, Silkwood, The Birdcage, Primary Colors and Charlie Wilson's War among them.