Who was Benedict Fitzgerald? ‘The Passion of Christ’ Co-Writer Dead at 74

Benedict Fitzgerald, the co-writer of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” passed away at the age of 74 on January 17, succumbing to a prolonged illness at his residence in Marsala, Sicily, as confirmed by his cousin Nancy Morgan Ritter to The Hollywood Reporter.

Fitzgerald gained widespread recognition for his collaboration with Gibson on the 2004 Biblical epic, a milestone as the highest-grossing Christian film and the top-grossing independent film in cinematic history. Beyond his notable contribution to “The Passion of the Christ,” Fitzgerald’s portfolio included co-writing the screenplay for John Huston’s “Wise Blood” (1979), an adaptation of Flannery O’Connor’s novel.

Born on March 9, 1949, in New York, Fitzgerald emerged from a family deeply rooted in literature. His mother, Sally, a devout Catholic, was a writer and editor, while his father, Robert, held esteemed roles as a poet, United States Poet Laureate (1984-1985), critic, and renowned translator of classic ancient Greek and Latin texts. Robert Fitzgerald’s translation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” stands out as one of the most well-known.

In the late 1950s, Fitzgerald’s family relocated to Italy while his father worked on translating “The Odyssey.” Despite this, Benedict spent his formative years in boarding school in Rhode Island. His academic journey led him to Harvard University in the early 1970s, where he cultivated a deep interest in cinema, writing, and screenplay creation.

The Fitzgerald family’s association with the esteemed writer Flannery O’Connor played a pivotal role in Benedict’s foray into screenwriting. Sally Fitzgerald, Benedict’s mother, enjoyed a close friendship and literary collaboration with O’Connor. Following O’Connor’s demise, Sally published “The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor.” In 1949, O’Connor lived with the Fitzgeralds at their Connecticut residence for two years, often caring for the young Fitzgerald children. This connection greatly influenced Benedict Fitzgerald’s trajectory in the world of screenwriting.