Former Disney Executive Dies at 47, Was Recently Hospitalized for 'Cardiac Issues'
A former film executive died unexpectedly Saturday at his home in Texas, according to reports.
Dave Hollis, who spent seven years as president of worldwide distribution for Disney, was 47, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He “died peacefully Saturday night at his home outside Austin,” a representative for the family announced.
While no cause of death has been given at this time, “he’d been recently hospitalized for cardiac issues,” Parade reported.
From 2011 to 2018, Hollis oversaw many blockbuster films and franchises, including Marvel Studios’ “Avengers,” “Star Wars” and “Frozen.”
“Under Hollis’ direction, Disney became the first film studio ever to surpass $7 billion in global box office grosses in a single year for 2016,” according to the outlet.
He left the company to help his then-wife Rachel Hollis, who had found fame as a motivational speaker and author of the self-help book “Girl, Wash Your Face.”
When he left Disney, Variety reported, Hollis was quoted as saying, “I can’t count the number of ‘pinch-me’ moments I’ve had in my time at Disney.
“In a world where so few opportunities could compare, the chance to support my wife and help grow her company was something I couldn’t pass up.”
Dave Hollis Dies: Former Disney Worldwide Distribution Chief Was 47 https://t.co/aJUtEZ3so0
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) February 14, 2023
The couple split up in 2020.
During those post-Disney years, according to the Reporter, Hollis published two self-help books of his own: “Get Out of Your Own Way,” which revealed “that he had found himself morose, at odds with his wife and drinking too much toward the end of his Disney tenure,” and “Built Through Courage: Face Your Fears to Live the Life You Were Meant For,” which told the story of “his difficult, public divorce and personal reckoning.”
In addition to hosting a podcast and publishing a children’s book, Hollis “was a large part of an online fitness and transformation community with his partner Heidi Powell called Get Fit.”
In an Instagram post, Hollis’ ex-wife wrote, “We are devastated.
“I have no words and my heart is too broken to find them. Please wrap the kids in prayers as we try and navigate through the unthinkable.”
Hollis had three sons and a daughter.
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