'Graduate' director Mike Nichols dies

Famed film and theater director Mike Nichols has passed away at the age of 83.

News of his death circulated through the US media on Thursday, which reported that he had passed away the previous day.

"In a triumphant career that spanned over six decades, Mike created some of the most iconic works of American film, television and theater," ABC News President James Goldston said on Thursday.

"He was a true visionary."

Nichols was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1931 to Jewish parents. At the age of seven, he fled with his family to the United States, where they settled in New York City.

The award-winning director began his career as an actor in New York and Chicago. The career that brought him both domestic and international fame began with his directorial debut of "Barefoot in the Park" in 1964, which won him his first Tony award.

In the years that followed, he moved behind the camera, directing Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966) and Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft in "The Graduate" (1967). The film, known for its performances, as well as for its iconic soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel, garnered him his first Academy Award for Best Director.

He went on to build a career on Broadway and in Hollywood, conquering comedy, drama and musicals, and working with some of the world's best actors. His accomplishments also earned the rare honor of winning a Tony, an Oscar, a Grammy and an Emmy.

In 2012, his rendition of "Death of a Salesman," starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, earned him his final Tony award.

Nichols is survived by his wife Diane Sawyer, the former anchorwoman of ABC's "World News Tonight."

kms/tj (AP, Reuters)