LOS ANGELES—On Wednesday, November 4, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Melissa Mathison, 65, lost her battle with neuroendocrine cancer.
Mathison is best known for working with director Steven Spielberg on the 1982 movie “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial.” SHewas nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay for the movie, which she also served as an assistant producer.
She took on assistant roles for movies such as “The Godfather: Part Two” and “Apocalypse Now.” It was discovered that Mathison had worked as a babysitter when she was 12 for director Francis Ford Coppola’s family, which helped her secure a job on both films.
Her first script was for the movie “The Black Stallion,” which was released as a full-length feature movie back in 1979. Another notable movie that Mathison put her stamp on was Frank Oz’s “The Indian and the Cupboard.”
The last project that the screenwriter worked on was in collaboration with Steven Spielberg for the adaption of “The BFG,” a novel written by well-known author Roald Dahl. The movie is slated to be released next year.
She was married to actor Harrison Ford of the famed “Indiana Jones” franchise for over 21 years from 1983 to 2004. They share two children together, Malcolm and Georgia.
Mathison’s death from cancer was confirmed by her sister, Malinda Mathison Johnson. Neuroendocrine cancer is a cancer of the endocrine(hormonal) cells and nervous systems.
