AceShowbiz - Rachel Zegler, who played Maria in the 2021 adaptation of "West Side Story," paid tribute to producer Adam Somner after the filmmaker died at the age of 57 on November 27 after battling anaplastic thyroid cancer.

The actress took to Instagram, recalling her experience working with him on the film, "He lifted me up and refused to let me stumble as I navigated the world of filmmaking. I could not have been in better hands."

Somner collaborated with acclaimed directors such as Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson on numerous films, including "Killers of the Flower Moon," "West Side Story," "The Wolf of Wall Street," and "There Will Be Blood."

Spielberg praised Somner's exceptional abilities, "He worked as AD, and producer and he performed both of those tasks with equal measures of devotion. He loved making movies. He loved being on the set."

Scorsese expressed his grief, "Adam Somner was more than an Assistant Director and Producer; his presence meant more to the films than any credits could indicate. He had a unique ability to work with directors as two dancers doing a routine or two musicians bouncing off each other."

Anderson lauded Somner's passion for filmmaking, "Adam loved making films more than anyone else in the history of the movie business. It was food and drink to him. He made everyone who worked with him feel safe."

Somner's legacy will live on through a DGA (Director's Guild of America) scholarship established in his name. He is survived by his wife, Carmen Ruiz de Huidobro, children Olivia and Bosco, and brother Mark Somner.