Famed Broadway writer Mark O'Donnell dies

Mark O'Donnell, the man behind Broadway hit Hairspray, has died at the age of 58.

The writer suffered a respiratory arrest outside his home in Manhattan, New York City on Monday, according to the New York Daily News.

Best known for his Tony Award winning work on the 2002 musical, which he wrote with Thomas Meehan, O'Donnell went on to pen the screenplay for the 2007 movie adaptation, starring John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer.

O'Donnell and Meehan worked together again in 2007 on the stage version of Johnny Depp's 1990 musical film Cry-Baby, which was nominated for four Tonys.

He also published two novels, Getting Over Homer and Let Nothing You Dismay.