Filmmaker Cass Warner, the granddaughter of Warner Bros. co-founder Harry Warner and the mother of “Yellowstone” actor Cole Hauser, died last week. She was 76.
Hauser announced his mother’s passing in an Instagram post on March 14 but did not say when she died or what her cause of death was, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“It is with a heavy heart that my mother, Cass Sperling Warner, passed away at the age of 76,” Hauser, who has starred on “Yellowstone” since 2018, wrote. “Her kindness, love, humor and amazing spirit will be missed by not only my family but the world. You have touched so many. I know you will be up in the heavens sitting next to all the great humans that have passed through our earth. We will meet again. Bye for now.”
Born March 8, 1948, Cass Warner called herself a self-described third-generation filmmaker, Deadline reported. Her father was writer/producer Milton Sperling, who was involved in more than 50 films including the Academy Award-nominated film “The Court-Martial Of Billy Mitchell” (1955) and “Marjorie Morningstar” (1958), the entertainment news website reported.
According to a biography on Cass Warner’s website, Warner Sisters, she was introduced to filmmaking as a child. She attended story meetings with her father and studied acting with director Milton Katselas. She learned screenwriting from her father and “Casablanca” writer Howard Koch, Deadline reported.
Cass Warner founded Warner Sisters, which developed film and television projects, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She developed a documentary about actor Dennis Hopper, called “Hopper: In His Own Words,” in 2012, the entertainment news website reported. Warner also created The Dream Factory, a nonprofit that featured inspirational interviews with Hollywood stars.
In 1994, Cass Warner collaborated with her father and Jack Warner to write the book, “Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The book was later retitled “The Brothers Warner” to correspond with a documentary she directed in 2007 for PBS’ American Masters series, Deadline reported.
“Her dedication to mentoring and empowering the next generation of talent was a testament to her belief in the power of storytelling to effect positive change in the world,” the website WITH (Women In Technology Hollywood) wrote on Monday.