Albert S. Ruddy

Albert Stotland Ruddy (March 28, 1930 – May 25, 2024) was a Canadian-born American film and television producer. Born in Montreal to Jewish parents and raised in New York City after moving to the United States as a child, Ruddy transitioned from engineering studies to entertainment, achieving prominence through persistent deal-making and production oversight. He produced The Godfather (1972), a landmark crime drama that earned the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Million Dollar Baby (2004), a boxing-themed character study that secured him a rare second Best Picture Oscar as producer. Ruddy also co-created the CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes (1965–1971), which depicted Allied prisoners outsmarting Nazi captors in a POW camp, and developed the long-running action series Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001), alongside producing sports comedies like The Longest Yard (1974).

Albert S. Ruddy was born Albert Stotland on March 28, 1930, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to Jewish parents Hyman Stotland, a uniform manufacturer, and Ruth Rudnikoff, a clothing designer. His family background reflected modest entrepreneurial roots in the garment industry, with his father's work involving the production of uniforms and his mother's focus on clothing design.