Bill Kerby, Screenwriter on ‘The Rose,’ ‘The Last American Hero’ and ‘Hooper,’ Dies at 88

Bill Kerby, Screenwriter on ‘The Rose,’ ‘The Last American Hero’ and ‘Hooper,’ Dies at 88

Bill Kerby, who wrote the first draft of Bette Midler's The Rose and worked on The Last American Hero, The Gravy Train and Hooper, has died at 88.

Bill Kerby, Screenwriter of "The Rose" and "Hooper," Dies at 88

An Oscar nomination for Bette Midler, an Emmy nomination for Kevin Costner’s turn in Hatfields & McCoys, screenwriter Bill Kerby’s career kept finding its way into award season across more than 4 decades of film and television work. Kerby died on August 13, 2026, at his home on Whidbey Island, Washington. He was 88. Born […]