Rex Reed, a beloved provocateur, journalist, and often scathing film critic, has passed away.
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The 87-year-old died at his home in Manhattan earlier today following a short illness, according to Deadline.
William Kapfer, Reed’s longtime friend, confirmed his death but did not provide a cause. Kapfer noted that Reed died “surrounded by his closest loved ones.”
In the 1960s, Reed emerged as a prominent figure in movie criticism, part of a fresh wave of reviewers. He, along with peers such as Pauline Kael, provided a more incisive and lively voice compared to the more traditional critiques found in mainstream publications.
Reed became a familiar face on talk shows in the 1960s and ’70s, celebrated for the stylish film reviews and celebrity profiles he penned for publications such as The New York Times and GQ. Hosts like Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett loved his wit and candor, making him a household name.
For the past forty years, Reed’s New York Observer column was a fixture of the New York social scene, where he frequently stirred the pot. He wasn’t shy about spreading a little gossip, reportedly helping to start the rumor that Jack Palance read the wrong name when Marisa Tomei won her Oscar. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he also infamously brushed off Marlee Matlin’s win for Children of a Lesser God as nothing more than a “pity vote.”
Many of Reed’s writings were compiled into books. His notoriously titled debut, Do You Sleep in the Nude?, was just one of the provocative questions he used to get a rise out of his interview subjects.
The Tables Turned on Film Critics Rex Reed When He Tried His Hand at Acting
Those Reed skewered got their revenge when he tried his hand at acting. His first role was in the atrocious 1970 film adaptation of Gore Vidal’s novel Myra Breckinridge. While he later appeared in better films, it was Breckinridge that made headlines…for all the wrong reasons.
The film routinely lands on “Worst Films Ever” lists and was even disavowed by Vidal himself. Time magazine wrote that “Myra Breckinridge is about as funny as a child molester. It is an insult to intelligence, an affront to sensibility, and an abomination to the eye.”
Critics lambasted both Reed and his co-star, Raquel Welch, for their performances.
True to form, Reed also panned Myra Breckinridge, calling it “a train wreck.”
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Reed attended Louisiana State University, where he was editor of the literary magazine and a columnist, critic, and editorial writer for the campus newspaper. As a senior, he won a national short-story contest before graduating in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
In 1993, he was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame alongside James Carville and Supreme Court Judge John Minor Wisdom.