vashti1999
02-13-2004, 10:05 AM
Robert Colesberry, co-creator and executive producer of the HBO police drama series "The Wire" and a producer on such films as "Mississippi Burning," "After Hours," "The Natural" and "The King of Comedy," died Monday. He was 57.
Colesberry died at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital Medical Center in New York of complications from heart surgery.
Colesberry earned a Peabody Award and Emmy Award for his work on the 2000 HBO miniseries "The Corner," centering on a drug-ridden neighborhood in Baltimore. He also earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for "Mississippi Burning."
"He was a consummate storyteller and a trusted friend," said David Simon, writer and executive producer of "The Corner" and "The Wire." HBO spurred Simon to team with Colesberry on "The Corner" because of Simon's limited production experience.
"I went into that meeting with Bob thinking, 'Who is this studio-type guy who's going to mess up my words,"' Simon recalled. "Pretty soon, I never wanted to shoot another reel of film without Bob as my partner."
His long list of film and TV credits included HBO's "61*," "K-PAX," "Billy Bathgate," "The Road to Wellville" and "Come See the Paradise." Colesberry frequently made cameo appearances in his films; on "The Wire" he had a recurring role as hapless Baltimore homicide detective Ray Cole.
Colesberry died at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital Medical Center in New York of complications from heart surgery.
Colesberry earned a Peabody Award and Emmy Award for his work on the 2000 HBO miniseries "The Corner," centering on a drug-ridden neighborhood in Baltimore. He also earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for "Mississippi Burning."
"He was a consummate storyteller and a trusted friend," said David Simon, writer and executive producer of "The Corner" and "The Wire." HBO spurred Simon to team with Colesberry on "The Corner" because of Simon's limited production experience.
"I went into that meeting with Bob thinking, 'Who is this studio-type guy who's going to mess up my words,"' Simon recalled. "Pretty soon, I never wanted to shoot another reel of film without Bob as my partner."
His long list of film and TV credits included HBO's "61*," "K-PAX," "Billy Bathgate," "The Road to Wellville" and "Come See the Paradise." Colesberry frequently made cameo appearances in his films; on "The Wire" he had a recurring role as hapless Baltimore homicide detective Ray Cole.