Documentarian Albert Maysles Dies at 88

Albert Maysles (left) with Iris Apfel at New York Film Festival | Getty

Albert Maysles, 88, died Thursday night at his Manhattan home, according to the New York Times.He and his late brother David will forever be remembered for their seminal documentary films such as Salesman, Gimme Shelter, and Grey Gardens.

That last film is what garnered the brothers many gay fans. Long a cult favorite, the film was later adapted into a Broadway musical (starring Christine Ebersole) and a HBO feature film, starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore. A 40th anniversary restoration fo the original film opened this week at Film Forum in New York City before it opens in other select cities.

Maysles, who was the nerve center for many emerging documentarians, established a cinema in central Harlem that screened an eclectic assortment of films and mentored young people. Maysles received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama in 2014. Maysles last film, titled Iris, is about the 93-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel, opens at select cinemas April 23.

Watch a clip from Grey Gardens below: