Photo: Alan Light / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Public records list Richard Donner as a film director, film producer and film actor. Richard Donner was born in The Bronx, New York, United States on April 24, 1930. Death is recorded on July 5, 2021, at the age of 91. Schooling on record includes New York University. Listed accolades include star on Hollywood Walk of Fame and Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (1979).
My Take
Richard Donner is, for me, the patron saint of the Hollywood craftsman. He made us believe a man could fly in Superman, owned our childhoods with The Goonies, and codified the buddy-action template with Lethal Weapon. There's a reassuring competence to his work, the sense that the audience always comes first. He never postured as an artist; he simply delivered fun, reliably, across six decades. I love that. Crowd-pleasing done this well is its own kind of mastery. He passed in 2021, but the dreams he engineered still flicker on screens everywhere, and that's a legacy worth honoring.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Richard Donner
- Name (Japanese)
- リチャード・ドナー
- Reading
- りちゃーど・どなー
- Born
- April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Horse
- Origin
- The Bronx, New York, United States
- Occupation
- film director / film producer / director / film actor / screenwriter
2. Background
- University
- New York University
Awards & achievements
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 1979 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Richard Donner born?
Born April 24, 1930.
When did Richard Donner die?
Died July 5, 2021, aged 91.
Where was Richard Donner from?
Richard Donner was from The Bronx, New York, United States.
What did Richard Donner do?
Richard Donner worked as film director, film producer, director, film actor, screenwriter.
Film director — see all → · Film producer — see all → · More people from the United States →