While she may not be a household name, Hollywood producer Lynda Obst had a part in creating some of the biggest movies of recent decades.

The Sleepless In Seattle executive producer died Tuesday in Los Angeles, her family said. The 74-year-old's cause of death was COPD.

'Sleepless In Seattle' producer dies

The New York native started as an editor of the book The Sixties, also editing for New York Times Magazine before moving to Hollywood. Her first major film project was to develop the script for the 1983 romantic comedy Flashdance.

Her brother Rick Rosen of talent agency WME, called Obst a "trailblazer" for women in the film industry.

“I was immensely proud of her. She was a trailblazer for women in the industry at a time when it was very difficult for women to have prominent roles. She was passionate about her work but even more passionate about her family,” he said to Variety.

In 1993, she executive produced Sleepless In Seattle, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The movie was a huge box office success and regularly tops list of the greatest romantic comedies.

Her filmography also includes The Fisher King, Contact, One Fine Day, Hope Floats, and How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days. The last movie she produced was Christopher Nolan's science fiction epic Interstellar.

Obst also produced TV series such as The Hot Zone, Good Girls Revolt, Hot in Cleveland and Helix.

Tributes pour in

Obst was widely respected in the film industry, and the news of her death elicited a number of touching tributes from her colleagues.

Bridesmaids director Paul Feig wrote, "This is incredibly sad. I was lucky enough to get to know Linda several years ago and she was such a lovely smart person. This is a very sad loss for the industry. My heart goes out to her son Oly and her entire family. RIP Linda."

Producer Lynda Obst was a trailblazer who transformed visionary concepts into iconic films. During a seminar at AFI in 1991, she inspired Fellows by sharing her invaluable insights into filmmaking. Her work leaves a lasting legacy. pic.twitter.com/DGFxrC4hzG

— AFI (@AmericanFilm) October 23, 2024

Obst, a lifetime smoker, warned about the dangers of the habit in a February interview with the Hollywood Reporter.

"'I very much want people to know that you could be the one hit with the fickle finger of fate, and I want to be clear what the consequences of smoking are," Obst told the publication. "It's not the way you want to spend your retirement or your last 10, 20 or 30 years."