ET can confirm that John Hughes, the famed writer/director behind such films as 'Sixteen Candles,' 'The Breakfast Club,' and 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off,' has died. He was 59.

Hughes passed away suddenly while taking a morning walk during a trip to Manhattan to visit family.

The Michigan native started out as an advertising copywriter in Chicago before launching his film career. Some of his other notable directing credits include 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' and 'Weird Science,' and he wrote 'Home Alone.'

In the last decade, Hughes took a step back from movie-making to enjoy time with his family, maintain a functioning farm in Illinois and support independent arts.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Nancy; two sons, John and James; and four grandchildren.