Director of Five Easy Pieces, Bob Rafelson is no longer with us, as per multiple reports, Rafelson passed away on Saturday, July 23rd, 2022, know his movies list and net worth
The tragic news of his demise was confirmed by his wife, Gabrielle Taurek Rafelson. In a statement with The Guardian, Gabrielle said that the American film director who co-directed ‘The Monkees’ passed away at his Aspen, Colo home on Saturday night.
Bob Rafelson Died, Cause Of Death, Obituary, Biography, Age, Wife, Children, Filmography Movies And Net Worth
Though the late Bob Rafelson had huge hits with later Jack Nicholson films, Easy Rider & Five Easy Pieces to name two, I’ll always love him first for co-creating The Monkees & directing their insane, wonderful film ‘Head’. I and many others have lovingly ripped it off. RIP Bob x pic.twitter.com/qhQ9QESYqQ
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) July 24, 2022
1) One day in the spring of 1966, I cut my classes in architecture at LA Trade Tech to take an audition for a new TV show called, “The Monkees”.The co-creator/producer of the show was Bob Rafelson. At first I mistook him for another actor there for the audition. pic.twitter.com/X5XKxATqPt
— Micky Dolenz (@TheMickyDolenz1) July 24, 2022
In his last moments he was surrounded by his family. According to his wife, Bob has lung cancer.
Bob Rafelson was popularly known for his work in movies such as Easy Rider (1969), Five Easy Pieces (1970), The Last Picture Show (1971), The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) and Mountains of the Moon (1990).
Early Life and Career
Bob Rafelson aka Robert Rafelson was born on February 21, 1933 in New York City, U.S. He went to a boarding school in Pawling, New York. He graduated from the school in 1950.
In an media interaction, Bob told that he was fascinated by the movies that he had saw in Japan. He said, “I’d have to watch an Ozu movie over and over again—say, Tokyo Story–and I was hypnotized by the stillness of his frames, his sureness of composition.
So I suppose my own aesthetic evolved from looking at certain kinds of pictures–Bergman and Ozu and John Ford, if you will”.
He got his first job as a story editor in 1959, in a tv series Play of the Week. As a story editor, he had to go through hundreds of plays and write some additional dialogues as well.
He bagged his first writing credits of an episode of a tv series The Witness in 1960 and for another episode of a series The Greatest Show ok Earth in 1963.
Throughout his career as a director, writer and producer, he had teamed up with fellow friend Jack Nicholson on a couple of projects.
During an interaction with a Magazine, Nicholson said, “I may have thought I started his career, but I think he started my career”.
Personal Life
Bob married art director and production designer, Toby Carr in 1955. At the time, the couple lived near Aspen, Colorado in a house. The house was purchased by Bob in 1970.
The couple had a daughter, Julie in 1962, but She passed away at a young age of 10 after suffering injuries when a propane stove exploded in their home in August 1973.
Like any other marriage, their also went through a lot of ups and downs but they didn’t last long and both got divorced.
Although couple shared a son, Peter Rafelson, who’s a songwriter by profession and has co-written a hit song ‘Open Your Heart’ for Madonna.
Later, in 1999, Bob again got married with Gabrielle Taurek. The couple shared two kids, both boys. His net worth stood at $4 million.
Tributes Pour in For Bob Rafelson
A Podcaster, Sean Fennessey wrote, “RIP Bob Rafelson, a fascinating, pugnacious filmmaker who can reasonably be credited with launching The Monkees, Jack Nicholson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger to stardom. From 1976’s terrific STAY HUNGRY”.
A Filmmaker, Jesse Hawken, took to social media and paid tribute by writing, “RIP Bob Rafelson: my favourite film of his was THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS”.