Gordon Hunt, a famed director and father of Helen Hunt, has died at age 87 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The Oscar winning-actress’ rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that her father passed away on Saturday, December 19, in his Sherman Oaks, California, home due to complications from Parkinson’s.
“Gordon was a master of reinvention — a journeyman artist,” Helen, 53, said in a statement, via THR. “He knew and taught that the work doesn’t always find you. You need to create and re-create the work every day.”
He was the recording director on hundreds of episodes of popular animated shows such as Scooby-Doo, The Jetsons, Paddington Bear, The Smurfs, The Addams Family and many more. Gordon was also a voice actor himself, and lent his voice to Wally on the Dilbert series, based on the comic book strip.
Gordon famously directed more than 30 episodes of Mad About You, the NBC sitcom that starred his daughter and won her four consecutive Emmys for her portrayal of Jaime Buchman. He also has directing credits on several other TV shows, including Frasier, Caroline in the City, Ladies Man and Suddenly Susan.
He is survived by his wife B.J. Ward, whom he married in 1995, daughters Helen Hunt and Colleen Morrison Hunt; three grandchildren, Helen’s kids Makena Lei Gordon Carnahan and Emmett Carnahan, and Colleen’s daughter Lizze Gordon; and two brothers.
