Richard Glatzer, who co-directed Julianne Moore in Still Alice while in the late stages of ALS, has died after a four-year battle with the disease. He was 63. Moore won an Oscar last month for her portrayal of a woman struggling to maintain her life while being torn down by Alzheimer’s. For the Still Alice cast and crew, Glatzer’s physical deterioration and courage on set gave the film added poignancy and resonance. He directed by typing with one finger into a text-to-speech app on his iPad.
Accepting the Academy Award for Best Actress Julianne Moore said, “Finally, to our filmmakers, Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, who had hoped to be here tonight, but they can’t because of Richard’s health,” she said. “When Richard was diagnosed with ALS, Wash asked him what he wanted to do. Did he want to travel? Did he want to see the world? He said he wanted to make movies. And that’s what he did.”
I am devastated. Richard was my soulmate, my collaborator, my life. A true artist and a brilliant man. @stillalice pic.twitter.com/hSRriYMjhe
— Wash Westmoreland (@Washmoreland) March 12, 2015