Playwright and Filmmaker Nora Ephron Dies at 71

As confirmed by The New York Times, playwright and filmmaker Nora Ephron passed away today, June 26, 2012. She was 71. Ephron is well known for her films When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Go Mail and more recently, Julie & Julia. For the stage, Ephron has written Short Talks on the Universe, the Drama Desk Award-winning Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Imaginary Friends, Lucky Guy, and more.

Lucky Guy is set for its Broadway debut in January 2013, starring Tom Hanks. The play, previously titled Stories About McAlary, centers on the life of the late New York Post and Daily News columnist Mike McAlary.

Ephron started her career as a newspaper reporter for the New York Post and then became a magazine writer for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, and New York Magazine. After gaining a reputation as a journalist, Ephron turned to screenwriting and directing. Her break-out success came in 1989, with the release of When Harry Met Sally, followed four years later with another box office hit, Sleepless in Seattle, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. This film, which Ephron also directed, grossed over $200 million worldwide and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay. Ephron again teamed up with Hanks & Ryan for You've Got Mail which was also an international box office hit.

Ephron's play, Imaginary Friends, debuted on Broadway in 2002 and was followed by a play she co-wrote with her sister, Love, Loss and What I Wore. Her most recent film was the critically acclaimed Julie & Julia starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller I Feel Bad About My Next: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman and I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections.

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff