Mike Nichols Has Died

Today just keeps getting worse. First the Duchess of Alba gets called up to Heaven to join the rest of the angels, and now the man who gave us Working Girl AND The Birdcage is gone. Today is a three butter tart kind of day.

ABC News has confirmed that legendary director and EGOT winner Mike Nichols passed away suddenly on Wednesday night from cardiac arrest at the age of 83. Mike Nichols (born Mikhail Igor Peschkowsky) arrived in New York City after fleeing from Nazi Germany when he was 7 years old, and started to get really into theatre, which eventually led him to meeting his future comedy partner Elaine May. Nichols and May release three comedy albums, one of which won them a Grammy Award. Then he went on to direct a bunch of plays, including Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple, which both won him Tony Awards.

After killing it at comedy and killing it at theatre, Mike Nichols was like “Well, time to go kill it in Hollywood“, and started making all the best movies to watch when you’re hungover on a Saturday afternoon: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Graduate, The Birdcage, Working Girl, Silkwood, Postcards from the Edge. Then I guess Mike Nichols got tired of looking at all his Oscars and Tonys and decided he wanted an Emmy, so he went to HBO and made Wit and Angels in America. And now I’m sure he’s up in Heaven setting up a camera crew and clearing space on his cloud mantle for the first of his many Angies (the award they give out in Heaven).

Mike Nichols leaves behind three children, four grandchildren, and his wife of 26 years Diane Sawyer.

Rest in peace, Mike Nichols. You gave me Agador Spartacus, and for that I will be forever thankful.