Author William Hasley, who worked on TV series such as “The Smurfs” and co-wrote an inspirational book with Caitlyn Jenner, has been identified as the hiker found dead on Hollywood’s popular Runyon Canyon Trail Saturday evening. He was 78 years old.
Hasley was previously married to “The Bold and the Beautiful” actress Robin Riker. His death came just two weeks after a man in his 40s died of cardiac arrest on the same road.
The Los Angeles Fire Department told the Daily Mail: “LAFD air operations lowered rescue personnel to the patient and treatment was provided.” Authorities later announced that Hasley was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hasley was born in Pittsburgh and graduated from Marshall University, where he played soccer and ran cross country, according to his official bio. He got his start in animation, writing scripts for Hanna-Barbera and the film adaptations of The Smurfs and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
Always a sports fan, he met Caitlyn Jenner on the NBC television special “Star Salute to the U.S. Olympic Team.” Jenner commissioned Halsey to write a motivational book for Simon & Schuster, “Finding the Champion Within.” He went on to ghostwrite other motivational books, including “Passion, Profit & Power” and “The Slight Edge.” He also wrote Chase the Wind, the Autobiography of Steve Fossett and was the producer of two television specials about the mysterious aviator.
He worked on the pilot “Borderline Heroes,” which was sold to ABC, wrote the half-hour comedy pilot “Steeltown” for Castle Rock Entertainment, and developed the pilot “Brooklyn District.”
Hasley went on to work with Oliver Stone and Gerald Green as a screenwriter on Defiance, and wrote episodes of Young Riders and Swift Justice.
He also taught writing at UCLA and participated in numerous charity events.
