Film lobbyist Jack Valenti has died. He was 85.
The former presidential advisor passed away at his home in Washington, D.C., yesterday after suffering complications from a stroke last month.
Valenti, who has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is widely credited for introducing the modern-day film ratings system to the industry and guiding Hollywood into the digital age.
His close friend director Steven Spielberg paid tribute to the star for his contribution to the film industry, praising him as a “giant voice of reason” and hailing him as “the greatest ambassador Hollywood has ever known.”
Valenti served as an aide to former President Lyndon Johnson for three years from 1963, before beginning a career as a film industry chief with the help of movie moguls Lew Wasserman and Arthur Krim.
He is survived by his wife Mary, and their three children, Courtenay, John and Alexandra.
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