Ron Howard Mourns 'Mentor' Roger Corman After Director's Death at 98: 'He Launched Many Careers'

Roger Corman produced over 400 movies and received an honorary Oscar in 2009 "for his unparalleled ability to nurture aspiring filmmakers"

Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese and more are among the Hollywood figures mourning director Roger Corman after his death at 98.

Corman, an actor-turned-filmmaker and producer who is often credited as the King of B Movies for his work in independent film, died on May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, California, his family shared in a post on his Instagram.

"He was generous, open-hearted and kind to all those who knew him. A devoted and selfless father, he was deeply loved by his daughters," the family's statement read. "His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, 'I was a filmmaker, just that.' "

Corman began acting, producing and directing in the 1950s after graduating from Stanford University with an industrial engineering degree, serving in the U.S. Navy and working as a literary agent.

His career lasted until his death, with hundreds of credits to his name. Corman's prolific producing career in particular helped launch the careers of a number of artists, including Scorsese, 81, whom Corman hired to direct 1972's Boxcar Bertha early in Scorsese's career.

“Roger Corman gave me my start in movies. He set the guidelines, and then he gave me tremendous freedom within those guidelines. In essence, he taught me how to actually make movies," Scorsese said in a statement.

"If I hadn’t worked with Roger, I wouldn’t have known how to make Mean Streets or, when it comes right down to it, any of the pictures that followed. It was the same for many, many other filmmakers of my generation. I admired Roger, I loved him, I loved the pictures he directed (especially the Poe adaptations) and the spirit of his filmmaking."

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Howard, 70, wrote on X that Corman influenced his career by producing Howard's first movie as a director, 1977's Grand Theft Auto.

"RIP Roger Corman. A great movie maker and mentor. When I was 23 he gave me my 1st shot at directing," he wrote. "He launched many careers & quietly [led] our industry in important ways. He remained sharp, interested and active even at 98. Grateful to have known him."

Among Corman's best known films are 1960's The Little Shop of Horrors, which was eventually adapted into the musical and the 1986 musical film of the same name starring Rick Moranis. The film also marked one of Jack Nicholson's early roles in Hollywood.

Corman received an honorary Oscar at the Academy's 2009 Governors Awards "for his unparalleled ability to nurture aspiring filmmakers by providing an environment that no film school could match." The Academy also credits him with helping launch the careers of James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro and Jonathan Demme, among others.

"Today I grieve the passing of Roger Corman. He was my first boss, task-master, teacher, mentor and role model," Coppola, 85, wrote on Instagram. "He was born in Detroit, MI, as I was, in April on the 5th, two days and 13 years before me. There is nothing about the practical matter of making movies I didn’t learn by being his assistant."

Corman is survived by his wife Julie and his daughters Catherine and Mary.

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