Hollywood Producer Laura Ziskin Dies At 61

6/13/2011 3:29 PM ET

(RTTNews) - Celebrated Hollywood producer Laura Ziskin died of cancer at the age of 61 on Sunday, June 12. Ziskin was best known as the producer behind such hit films as "Pretty Woman" and the "Spider-Man" franchise. In recent years she was also the face of the Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) fundraising campaign.

"Laura was one of the most courageous people I've ever known. Her fearlessness in the face of this relentless killer inspires everyone on the SU2C team to redouble our efforts to make cancer history," said Stand Up to Cancer co-founder Katie Couric.
In her work with Stand Up to Cancer, Ziskin enlisted the help of celebrity friends including Denzel Washington, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Douglas, Sally Field, Renee Zellweger, Kathy Bates, Stevie Wonder and Lady Antebellum.
In 2010 she told the Los Angeles Times that the effort must continue until all cancer patients become cancer survivors.
"We need to make cancer the manageable chronic disease it can be. There are 12 million cancer survivors in this country. Stand Up to Cancer's goal is to make everyone who is diagnosed a survivor," she said.