Nancy Bernstein, Film Producer and Health Activist, Dies at 55

Nancy Bernstein, the former head of production at DreamWorks Animation and an activist in the search for cancer cures, has died at age 55.

Bernstein, who is survived by her wife, Cheryl, and their daughter, Ruby, died Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Bernstein (pictured above) spent 10 years at DreamWorks, overseeing production of animated films while also producing films herself and supervising overseas projects, reports Entertainment Weekly. Before she took that job in 2005, she was a visual effects producer, working on films including A Beautiful Mind, X-Men, Armageddon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first installment in that trilogy.

She was diagnosed with stage IV metastasized colorectal cancer in December 2011, EW reports, but she continued working, producing the 2012 release Rise of the Guardians.

She helped found the Call to Cure fund for research at the University of Southern California's Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Nancy made an enormous and lasting impact on the colon and colorectal cancer research led by Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz," Dr. Steven B. Gruber, head of the center, wrote on its website. "She was a special person who was determined to make a difference for all patients."

"Nancy's unwavering professional tenacity translated to her efforts in searching for a cure for colorectal cancer through her organization, Call to Cure," said a statement issued by DreamWorks Animation. "Our deepest sympathies go out to Nancy's family during this incredibly difficult time."