AFP/Los Angeles
Mike Nichols, the legendary film and theatre director who won an Oscar for the classic American movie "The Graduate," has died aged 83, US media reported on Thursday.
ABC television reported that Nichols died of cardiac arrest late Wednesday.
Nichols is one of the rare figures in American entertainment to have earned an "EGOT" -- having been awarded at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.
The director was part of American entertainment royalty, being married for many years to celebrated ABC television news director Diane Sawyer.
Sawyer's employer confirmed Nichols' death in a statement Thursday that eulogized him as a directing genius with a "sparkling wit and a brilliant mind."
"In a triumphant career that spanned over six decades, Mike created some of the most iconic works of American film, television and theatre -- an astonishing canon ranging from 'The Graduate,' 'Working Girl,' and 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'," among many other works.
"He was a true visionary, winning the highest honours in the arts for his work as a director, writer, producer and comic," said James Goldston, president of ABC News, in his statement.