Director William Richert Cause of Death Tragic: What Is The 'Death With Dignity Act'?

William Richert opted to use Oregon's Death With Dignity Act which led to his death.

Richert's wife, Gretchen, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter, that the renowned director died at his home in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday.

She did not disclose William Richert's cause of death, but she divulged that her late husband chose to use Oregon's Death With Dignity Act.

According to Oregon's official website, the state enacted the act in October 1997 to allow terminally ill people to end their lives through the self-administration of lethal medications.

It remains unknown why Richert opted to use the act to end his life.

Richert was remembered by the people he worked with and fans who saw his creations.

Meredith Salenger shared photos of her with the director, writing, "Sweet William Richert. My director on "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" has passed away. He had the most creative and passionate heart. I loved him so. He will be dearly missed."

"Bummed to hear of the passing of William Richert, the writer/director of "Winter Kills," a wonderfully bonkers conspiracy thriller that deserves to be uttered in the same breath as classics like "The Parallax View" and "The Conversation." (Read about its production.) A sad day," Drew Taylor wrote.

William Richert's Legacy

The Florida-native director famously attended 20 grammar schools since his parents and siblings took him around the country.

At the age of 19, he wrote the novel "Aren't You Even Gonna Kiss Me Goodbye?" and published it in 1966.

He then grew up and decided to come to Hollywood in the early 1960s, opening the doors for him to become a press agent for "The New Steve Allen Show." From there, Richert worked on several documentaries including "Derby" and "First Position."

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Richert co-wrote the 1975 "The Happy Hooker," "Law and Disorder," and "Crime and Passion."

In 1979, he helmed the famous "Winter Kills," which offered a black comedy take on the killing of John F. Kennedy. The flick starred Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Elizabeth Taylor, Toshiro Mifune, and Eli Wallach, to name a few.

"Part of the book was about how this president was groomed by his father to take office, how deals with made and the crooked stuff that went on. It said a lot of things about powerful people in code. ... It had to almost be financed by gangsters, by outsiders, which it was," he said in the 2003 documentary "Who Killed Winter Kills."

Unfortunately, it faced cancelation due to budget problems. Despite losing it, Richert went on to work in "The American Success Company" in 1980.

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