Alan Sacks, famed for his role in the creation of Welcome Back, Kotter and his involvement in numerous Disney Channel productions, has passed away at the age of 81.
Annette van Duren, Sacks’ wife and a talent agent, informed Deadline of his passing on Tuesday morning in New York City. His health had deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks due to an “aggressive” form of mantle cell lymphoma.
“He received treatment that allowed him to dance at our daughter’s wedding in June and escort her down the aisle,” she shared. “However, post-wedding, the chemotherapy lost its effectiveness. He entered hospice care last week and passed away peacefully while listening to Tibetan music during his final days and nights, aged 81.”
Robert Rusler, an actor who worked with Sacks in the 1986 skateboarding romance Thrashin’, paid tribute to the “writer, producer, teacher, and connector of people” on Instagram.
In his tribute, Rusler highlighted some of Sacks’ notable works, “I got to know him while working on the film #Thrashin. Alan was the brain behind #DAGGERS and #theramplocals. Together with Paul Brown, he penned the screenplay and lived the ‘dagger life’ every day on set. Alan embodied this spirit each day of his life. He was a true punk rocker at heart.
Kevin Hooks & Alan Sacks at the 32nd annual NAACP Image Awards in 2001
“He was a devoted family man, produced a successful podcast, managed bands, and was an innovative force in the music industry and scene. He was also a mentor and teacher at the Los Angeles community college and held a masters degree in television from Brooklyn College,” Rusler added. “Alan was a true New Yorker but made Los Angeles his home and left his mark on Hollywood alongside the best of us. He will be sorely missed and forever remembered. DAGGERS 4 LIFE. Rest in peace, old friend.”
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Alan Sacks was born on December 9, 1942. He co-created Welcome Back, Kotter with Gabe Kaplan in 1975, a sitcom that ran for four seasons on ABC from 1975 to 1979.
In addition to his television work, Sacks produced several films for the Disney Channel. These include Smart House (1999), the Emmy-winning The Color of Friendship (2000), The Other Me (2000), You Wish! (2003), Pixel Perfect (2004), Camp Rock (2008), and Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (2009).
Credit: deadline.com
