Women in film director were 72

Gayle Nachlis, longtime agent at William Morris Agency and former executive director at Women in Film, has died. She was 72.

According to Women in Film, Nachlis died on April 21 in her home, surrounded by family, after a battle with throat cancer.

After attending UC Berkeley and graduating from UCLA with a degree in theater arts, Nachlis joined the William Morris Agency in 1975 as an agent in the theater department. She eventually worked her way up in film before becoming vice president of television. She has represented Hector Elizondo, Jean Smart and Jennifer Love Hewitt, among others.

After 30 years at WMA, Nachlis became executive director and senior director of education at Women in Film, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the careers of women in entertainment. During her time at WIF, Nachlis led strong foundational work and cutting-edge programs in mentorship, funding and research.

“Gayle had an infectious joy about her. From the boardroom to the sidelines of youth football and cocktail parties, Gayle was the person you wanted to be next to,” her family said in a statement. “She always had the answer to every question, like ‘who was that actor that was in that one thing?’ to ‘where are my keys?’ to ‘what’s a six-letter word for ‘difficult’?’”

Nachlis was predeceased by her husband Marvin Nachlis and father Arnold Rosenbluth. She is survived by her children Alex Nachlis and Sara Vassar, grandchildren Rosalind and Cai, mother Ruth Tumpowsky and sisters Meryl Adler and Barbara.