Bruce Paltrow, Gwyneth's Father, Dies

Producer-director Bruce Paltrow, 58, died in Rome on Thursday, a spokesman has confirmed.

Paltrow, whose credits included the ’80s NBC series “St. Elsewhere” but whose best known production is probably Gwyneth Paltrow, died suddenly from complications resulting from pneumonia, his daughter’s publicist, Stephen Huvane, tells CNN. Paltrow also had suffered from throat cancer for the past few years.

Paltrow had been in Italy to celebrate Gwyneth’s 30th birthday over the weekend. His wife, actress Blythe Danner, 59, flew from Los Angeles to Italy to be with her daughter, Huvane said.

The death was considered sudden, say reports; Paltrow had attended the Italian premiere of the Tom Cruise-Steven Spielberg film, “Minority Report,” only a few days ago.

Although hospital officials and government officials were not commenting, Gwyneth was reportedly seen heading into Rome’s Forlanini Hospital Thursday.

Paltrow was born in Brooklyn on November 26, 1943, and was educated at Tulane University in New Orleans. He began his career in the late 1960s by directing for the New York stage, and married Danner, strictly a theater actress at the time, in 1970.

Besides Gwyneth, they also have a son, actor Jake Paltrow.

Bruce Paltrow’s last film, which he produced and directed, was 2000’s “Duets,” starring his daughter and Huey Lewis.