A cause of death has not yet been determined
Credit: facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- William Hasley, who co-wrote one of Caitlyn Jenner’s biographies, was found dead on a California hiking trail
- A cause of death has not yet been determined
- Hasley worked with Jenner on Finding the Champion Within and was also a Hollywood screenwriter
A California hiker found dead on Saturday, June 6, was identified as author and screenwriter William Hasley.
The biographer, who co-wrote Finding the Champion Within with Caitlyn Jenner for Simon & Schuster, died on June 6 at 78, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed.
A cause of death was not provided and is pending additional investigation.
Credit: facebook; Kayla Oaddams/WireImage
Hasley was found near Runyon Canyon at approximately 7:05 p.m. on June 6, the New York Post reported, citing the Los Angeles Fire Department.
PEOPLE reached out to the LAFD for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Emergency crews reportedly attempted to rescue Hasley, but were unsuccessful, according to the Post.
The Pittsburgh, Pa., native graduated from West Virginia's Marshall University, then relocated to Hollywood where the former college athlete tapped into his writing talents.
“If you can't play pro ball, at least you can imagine it and write about it,” he would say, according to his website.
His early work for Hanna-Barbera and Filmation Studios included writing for cartoons like The Smurfs and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
Hasley's Cosby script about the Special Olympics led to him volunteering with the organization, which ultimately is how he crossed paths with Jenner, a retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete.
“They became fast friends and Jenner commissioned Will to write a motivational book about his championship philosophy entitled, Finding the Champion Within for Simon & Schuster. At Simon & Schuster, Will was commissioned to ghostwrite other motivational books entitled, Passion, Profit, & Power for Marshall Sylver, and The Slight Edge for Jeff Olson,” per his website.
Hasley also worked at Universal where he developed the pilot Brooklyn District. He also sold screenplays to Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Logo Entertainment and other studios.
Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Hasley was previously married to The Bold and the Beautiful actress Robin Riker, Variety reported.
“When Will isn't meeting a deadline, you'll most likely find him fighting City Hall over an environmental issue, writing an article, teaching a writing class at UCLA, volunteering in a soup-kitchen, or speaking to a youth organization. Will's a great sports enthusiast. He's often playing in a Celebrity Golf Tournament, Showbiz Softball League, or riding horses with the infamous Hole in the Wall Gang,” his website reads.
In his UCLA bio, the screenwriter and Writers Guild of America member said as an instructor, it was his goal to help students turn their dreams into reality.
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“In my class only you can limit yourself. I hope to form a camaraderie among my students so you will feel safe enough to fall flat on your pages, then pick them up, and improve on what you have already written. The truth is, writers write, then they rewrite. Writing is very much like putting a puzzle together. You may try many pieces before the right piece fits perfectly. Writing is the same way,” Hasley said.
His message concluded, “I challenge you to challenge yourself.”
Read the full article here