Multiple award-winning director Mike Nichols dies at 83

(CNN) — Mike Nichols, the “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and “The Graduate” director who was one of the few people to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award, died Wednesday evening, according to a note from ABC News’ president to their staff.

Nichols, 83, was the husband of former “ABC World News” anchor Diane Sawyer.

Born Michael Igor Peschkowsky in Berlin in 1931, Nichols got his start as a stage performer, and in the 1950s co-founded the Chicago-based comedy troupe Second City, which honed comedians including John Belushi and Bill Murray.

His last film as director was 2007’s “Charlie Wilson’s War.”