'Empire Strikes Back' director Irvin Kershner dead at 87

American film director Irvin Kershner, best known for directing "Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back," has passed away at the age of 87.

The director and occasional actor was confirmed to have died due to a long-ailing battle with lung cancer by his goddaughter, Adriana Santini, in Yahoo! News. He died at home in Los Angeles, California, with his family by his side. According to Kershner's Wikipedia page, he was hand-picked by George Lucas to direct The Empire Strikes Back "because you know everything a Hollywood director is supposed to know, but you're not Hollywood," as Lucas himself put it. Upon hearing of Kershner's death, Lucas stated that he had lost both a "friend" and "a mentor." "The world has lost a great director and one of the most genuine people I've had the pleasure of knowing. Irvin Kershner was a true gentleman in every sense of the word," said Mr. Lucas. "When I think of Kersh, I think of his warmth, his thoughtfulness and his talent." Kershner is survived by his two sons, Dana and David Kershner.