Anne Hathaway has written a moving tribute to The Princess Diaries director Garry Marshall, who died on July 19 at a hospital in Burbank, California, from complications of pneumonia following a stroke. He was 81.
The actress accompanied a snap of herself, co-star Julie Andrews and Marshall on the set of The Princess Diaries with a lengthy post.
I couldn't sleep last night. The moon was too bright and my heart was too full of fresh grief at Garry's passing. I went outside and sat in the absurd blue-white bath of moon, surprised to see my night shadow, I thought, "Garry left on a good night." This morning, I got a text from Heather Matarrazzo saying "Of course Garry left on a full moon." If you know Garry, that he went out when there should be darkness and instead there is full, rare, magic light, is too perfect to be coincidence. It's so him. Garry was goodness itself. He was generous. He was kind beyond kind. He was thoughtful and sweet and so funny you would pee yourself a little. I met him when I was a child who thought she was a grown-up; he treated me with grace and patience and respect and always, always love. I'm so happy I made three films with him. I'm so happy he blessed my son in my belly the last time I saw him (we never think it will be the last time). Before we made the Princess Diaries, he told me "You never know if a movie is going to be a hit or not. The only thing you can control is the memories you make when shooting it. So, let's make some good memories." That advice changed my life even more than the film did. I wish I could say I practice that perfectly, but I can't. Garry loved my rough patches too, and forgave them before I even apologized. He wasn't interested in judgement or non-plot related conflict. He just wanted to have fun and laugh and do good work. He was so, so smart and canny, and yet he lived entirely from his heart. That's how he made movies too. You don't meet a lot of people that kind of courageous nowadays. I couldn't see it when he was right in front of me, but I see him so clearly now that he has moved on- Garry was a Hero. Not a run-into-a-burning-building-to-save-a-hampster hero per se, but he looked on the bright side of every situation and was unfailingly warm and loving to everyone he met. How simple. How extraordinary. Garry: for a kid from the Bronx with weak lungs, you did good. I'm happy to have known you. I can never thank you enough for my life. I'm going to do my best to be just like you. I love you. Safe travels, my friend.
“Garry was goodness itself,” it read in part. “He was generous. He was kind beyond kind. He was thoughtful and sweet and so funny you would pee yourself a little.
“I met him when I was a child who thought she was a grown-up; he treated me with grace and patience and respect and always, always love.
“Before we made The Princess Diaries, he told me “You never know if a movie is going to be a hit or not. The only thing you can control is the memories you make when shooting it. So, let’s make some good memories.”
“Garry: for a kid from the Bronx with weak lungs, you did good. I’m happy to have known you. I can never thank you enough for my life.
“I’m going to do my best to be just like you. I love you. Safe travels, my friend.
Julia Roberts who worked with Marshall on Pretty Woman, Valentine’s Day and Runaway Bride, shared a number of flashback snaps.
She captioned a photo taken on the set of the movie WHICH MOVIE?: "Thanks for giving us the fairytale."
She also wrote “My eternal director” under another picture.
Kate Hudson, who worked with Marshall on his most recent film, Mother’s Day as well as Overboard and Raising Helen, shared a photo of her and Marshall hugging.
“He was more then my director, he was family,” read the caption.
“In one flash of a moment there was so much recognition of how loyal, wonderful, kind, generous, funny and profound Garry was.
“He kept his loved ones close, he loved people, he loved making movies, he loved to laugh, he loved loved loved. And those of us who were fortunate to know him like this were so lucky.
“Garry wanted to see the world smile because he knew we all need more of that. To everyone in the Garry Marshall family, I love you all so much. I will miss you Garry ❤️ I love you.
A hard day for those of us in the Garry camp. In reflection, I share some memories and feelings with you. Garry and I were shooting Mothers Day this past year my children came to visit the set. I was behind a wall about to do a scene waiting for the very words that every working actor is quite used to, "and....ACTION!" Much to my pleasant surprise the voice booming from behind the wall was my son, Ryder. I couldn't help but smile and after we finished the scene both Garry and I shared a moment. We knew in an instant that so many things come full circle. That once upon a time that was me on his lap yelling ACTION for my mother and pa on Overboard in 1987. That in Garry's words in that moment, "The circle of life is an amazing thing isn't it..." In that moment he was more then my director, he was family. That moment meant way more then any success of any film. I looked around the set and saw faces I had known and seen since I was a little girl. In one flash of a moment there was so much recognition of how loyal, wonderful, kind, generous, funny and profound Garry was. He kept his loved ones close, he loved people, he loved making movies, he loved to laugh, he loved loved loved. And those of us who were fortunate to know him like this were so lucky. The messages Garry shared with the world truly represented his character. He wanted peace and the importance of family and connection to be at the forefront of everything he did. I have so much admiration for his purity of such loving messages. He created things that made us feel good because he just wanted people around him to be happy. Once while shooting Raising Helen, I was reaching for a laugh. I didn't feel that a scene was going right and I wasn't hitting the joke and I was incredibly frustrated. He came over to me and gently held my hand and said, "Kate, sometimes we don't need to laugh, sometimes making us smile is even more important." Garry wanted to see the world smile because he knew we all need more of that. To everyone in the Garry Marshall family, I love you all so much. I will miss you Garry ❤️ I love you.
Richard Gere, who starred opposite Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: “Everyone loved Garry. He was a mentor and a cheerleader and one of the funniest men who ever lived. He had a heart of the purest gold and a soul full of mischief. He was Garry.”
Other celebrities who had worked with Marshall—his TV credits included Happy Days and Mork & Mindy—also took to social media to pay tribute to the iconic director. See their tributes here:
