Henry Jaglom, Autonomous Film Pioneer, Dies at 87
Los Angeles, CA – Henry Jaglom, a prolific independent filmmaker and actor known for his โdeeply personalโ and โimprovisational style, has died at the age โof โฃ87. Hisโข daughter, Sabrina Jaglom,โ confirmed the news to Deadline, stating he passed โคaway peacefully at home on Monday, surrounded by family including โhis son, Simon, and Victoria foyt.
Jaglom enjoyed a career spanning over five decades in the film industry,working alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names and even studying at the Actors Studio in Newโ York โunder Lee Strasberg before relocating to Los Angeles. He began his film career as an editor on Dennis Hopper’s groundbreaking 1969 film, Easy Rider,โค which featured Jack Nicholson.
Throughout his career,Jaglom directed and starred in โคa diverse body of work,including Venice/Venice,Babyfever,Last Summer in the Hamptons,Going Shopping,Dรฉjร Vu,and Eating. He โsought to create a different cinematic experience than mainstream Hollywood, explaining โin a 2012โ interview โขwith Slant โข magazine that heโข “felt there โwas a wall between me and them” growing up.
“I wanted to makeโ filmsโข where people โฃfelt that the line was blurred,” Jaglom shared. “People have told me that they somehow feel less lonelyโค by [watching] my films, because my films reveal that we’re all ‘bozos on this bus,’ if you โknow that expression. And, somehow, to share thatโ fact, โthat we’reโ all going through these things, people feel they’re โขless in trouble.”
Following the โannouncement of his death, tributes have flooded social media.โฃ One fan wrote on X โ(formerly Twitter), “RIP #HenryJaglom. Thanks โfor giving us your cool improv style movies with real โขhumanโข feeling and depth!”โข Another โremembered him โคas a friend, noting their close connection during the late 1970s and early 1980sโค while collaborating on projects withโค Orson Welles.
Sabrina Jaglomโ described her fatherโ toโ the Hollywood Reporter as “the most loving,โ fun, entertaining and unique father and the biggest cheerleader and champion anyone could be lucky enough to have.”
Henry Jaglom is survived by his two children, โคsabrina and Simon,โค and two grandchildren, Evelyn Reese and Jeremy Reese.He leaves behind a legacyโข of independent filmmaking โthat prioritized โฃhuman connection and emotional honesty.