Melissa Mathison, the writer of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and ex-wife of actor Harrison Ford, died Wednesday in Los Angeles. She was 65.
The screenwriter was battling neuroendocrine cancer and passed away at
UCLA Medical Center, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Mathison was nominated for an original screenplay Academy Award for the blockbuster 1982 film that made Steven Spielberg a household name. Adjusted for inflation, "E.T." remains the fourth
highest-grossing film of all-time, according to Box Office Mojo.
"Melissa had a heart that shined with generosity and love and burned as bright as the heart she gave 'E.T.,'" Spielberg said in a statement Wednesday. The two worked closely on the project, which was partially
inspired by his parents' divorce, Variety noted.
Mathison had recently teamed up with Spielberg again for "The BFG," which is in post-production and scheduled to hit movie theaters in
July 2016, People magazine reported.
She was married to screen icon Harrison Ford from 1983 to 2004 and had two children with him — 28-year-old Malcolm and 25-year-old Georgia.
Her writing credits also include "Kundun" (1997) with Martin Scorsese, "The Black Stallion" (1979), and "The Indian in the Cupboard" (1995).
But she will always be especially connected to "E.T," and her writing had a strong impact on the movie, Spielberg said on the film's special edition DVD.
"Melissa delivered this 107-page first draft to me and I read it in about an hour," he said. "I was just knocked out. It was a script I was willing to shoot the next day. It was so honest, and Melissa's voice made a direct connection with my heart."
Many expressed their sympathies on social media for Mathison's passing.
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