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Jerry Weintraub, Karate Kid and Ocean’s Eleven Producer, Dies at 77

Jerry Weintraub dead
Jerry Weintraub died on Monday, July 6, at age 77.

Jerry Weintraub, the famed movie producer behind The Karate Kid and who rebooted Ocean’s Eleven starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, died Monday, July 6, at age 77, his rep confirms to Us Weekly. TMZ was the first to report the news. 

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Weintraub died from cardiac arrest in a Santa Barbara, Calif., hospital in the morning, his rep tells Us.

"In the coming days there will be tributes, about our friend Jerry Weintraub. We’ll laugh at his great stories, and applaud his accomplishments," Clooney said in a statement to Variety. "And in the years to come the stories and accomplishments will get better with age, just as Jerry would have wanted it. But not today. Today our friend died. To his family and friends, [my wife] Amal and I send our love. And to those who didn’t know him we send our deepest sympathy. You would have loved him." 

Ralph Macchio, who starred in 1984's Karate Kid and the 1986 sequel, tweeted a photo of himself with the producer.

The Emmy-winning producer — who took home trophies for Behind the Candelabra, Years of Living Dangerously, and An Evening With John Denver — was also known for his management work (he got his start working in the mailroom at William Morris) and his business Concerts West, which booked acts such as Elvis and the Beach Boys. His most recent projects include HBO comedy The Brink, which premiered in June, and the TV series Westworld and a Tarzan film, both currently in post production.

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In addition to his work behind the camera, Weintraub also made a few appearances on-screen, most notably with small roles in each of the three Ocean’s movies.

He is survived by his wife, Jane, whom he married in 1964, his four children: Michael, Julie, Jamie, and Jody, his longtime companion Susan Ekins, brother Melvyn, and five grandchildren.

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