American director, producer, and scriptwriter John Hughes is remembered for his coming-of-age teen films, which launched the careers of some of the best-known actors of Hollywood, such as Macaulay Culkin and the members of the Brat Pack. Starting his career as an advertising copywriter, he later wrote for the humor magazine National Lampoon. Many of his stories from the magazine were made into films, such as National Lampoon's Vacation. Over his illustrious career, he had written, produced, and directed multiple hits, such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Home Alone, Beethoven, and Dennis the Menace. He formed the production company Hughes Entertainment and later co-founded Great Oaks Entertainment. He also had a long-lasting work relationship with Canadian actor and comedian John Candy. In his final years, he stayed away from the media. He died of a heart attack, rather abruptly, while on a morning walk in New York City in 2009.
