Hollywood is reeling from a major loss: Garry Marshall died at age 81 on Tuesday, reportedly from complications due to pneumonia. The writer, director, and producer has an extensive résumé, including Pretty Woman, Happy Days, The Princess Diaries, and much more. Considering he's been part of so many films and TV shows over the years, he's worked with plenty of celebrities. Following the news of his death, Kate Hudson shared a beautiful tribute to Marshall on Instagram that shows the impact he's had on her career and family. Hudson's words really shed light on the kind of person he was — not only talented, but compassionate and insightful as well.
Based on Hudson's post, Marshall taught her valuable lessons, including just how full-circle life can be. While filming Mother's Day, she had her son Ryder on set. She unexpectedly heard Ryder yell out, "Action!" and was instantly transported back to her own childhood, where she was the kid on set with Marshall. Nearly 20 years prior, she called "Action!" as her mother Goldie Hawn filmed the movie Overboard with Kurt Russell, who Hudson considers like a father. She wrote,
I couldn't help but smile and after we finished the scene both Garry and I shared a moment. We knew in an instant that so many things come full circle... That in Garry's words in that moment, "The circle of life is an amazing thing isn't it..." In that moment he was more then my director, he was family. That moment meant way more then any success of any film. I looked around the set and saw faces I had known and seen since I was a little girl. In one flash of a moment there was so much recognition of how loyal, wonderful, kind, generous, funny and profound Garry was. He kept his loved ones close, he loved people, he loved making movies, he loved to laugh, he loved loved loved.
It's quite touching that not only did Marshall make Hudson's childhood memorable, but in turn, helped make her own son feel like part of the set and the movie family. That's a true testament to the director's character and compassion.
But that's not the only sweet moment Hudson recalled. In her caption, she also shared another memory with Marshall from the set of Raising Helen. She began getting frustrated, because she couldn't nail a funny line. Here's what happened next:
He came over to me and gently held my hand and said, "Kate, sometimes we don't need to laugh, sometimes making us smile is even more important." Garry wanted to see the world smile because he knew we all need more of that.
What better goal in making movies than to make people happy? Hudson's words help those who didn't know Marshall personally feel like they did. As these memories show, his impact extends well-beyond the movie screen.
