Linda Duncombe

Linda Duncombe died on Sunday, October 11, 2026, of complications from a stroke. She was 55. Days before her death she had been diagnosed with Stage 2 lung cancer. Variety reported her death on October 12, 2026, with tributes from colleagues and friends. Her last public appearance had been at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's The Evening Before event ahead of the Primetime Emmy Awards on September 13, 2026.

"Linda was a source of light," said Variety co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh, a close friend. Bob Beitcher, president and chief executive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, said her passing "dims the light for me and for MPTF." She was survived by her mother, Doreen Thompson, and nieces and nephews Shannen, Damien and Jarred. Funeral and memorial arrangements had not been announced.

Linda Duncombe was born in Australia on February 10, 1971, and spent her early years there. Speaking to the magazine Beauty Is in 2025, she said: "As a 9-year-old, I told my parents I wanted to live in New York when I grew up. My parents did not hesitate in their support of a shy, young girl's big dreams. We lived in government housing and while we had no money, our family and home was rich in love, support and laughter." She said she was inspired as a child by the Wonder Woman television series and that her parents taught her that kindness and respect would make her unstoppable.

She earned a bachelor's degree from Western Sydney University. She later graduated from Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program, which Variety said she began in 2008, and completed Citi's Women's Leadership Development Program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Duncombe began her career in 1988 with National Australia Bank in Sydney and held roles in business banking, private banking and consumer banking, including general manager of sales and strategy for the bank's business arm.

She then joined Citi in Australia, where in 2010 she was named managing director of marketing, digital banking and customer experience, later becoming head of growth and chief marketing officer. In the mid 2010s she moved to New York as a founding member of Citi FinTech, the bank's innovation arm, serving as its chief marketing officer and head of growth and as global head of design for Citibank's Global Consumer Bank.

In January 2019 she joined City National Bank in Los Angeles as executive vice president of marketing and product strategy, a member of the executive committee, later titled chief marketing, data and digital officer. She stayed until 2024. At the bank known as "the bank to the stars," she established sponsorship and community relationships with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Recording Academy, the Motion Picture and Television Fund and the Tribeca Film Festival, helped direct more than 12 million dollars in community investments, and helped keep Variety's annual Broadway breakfast going during the Covid pandemic. She led the team that delivered more than 1.8 billion dollars in Paycheck Protection Program loans to entertainment industry businesses. Variety named her to its Most Powerful Women in Hollywood list.

In her last two years she worked as an independent producer, serving as executive producer of the family adventure film The Queen's Jewels and the suspense thriller Killing Time, both planned for global release in 2027. Variety said she was closely involved in every part of production, from financing to publicity.

Duncombe moved to the United States in the mid 2010s, living first in New York and later in an apartment near the beach in Santa Monica. Friends remembered her sunny spirit, infectious laugh, optimism and loyalty, and she took pride in mentoring younger people. Her producing partner and best friend, Josh Friedman, whom she called her little brother, was often at her side at industry events.

She served on several boards, including the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Grammy Museum, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles, EnCorps and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. In 2024 the Governor-General of Australia awarded her the Medal of the Order of Australia.

Duncombe's career took her from a first job at an Australian bank to the executive suite of a Los Angeles bank closely tied to the entertainment business, and finally to producing films, a childhood dream. Her support for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, SAG-AFTRA and Broadway charities, and the pandemic lending she led for entertainment businesses, made her a well known figure in Hollywood. "She was a unicorn in this life for a lot of people," said Josh Friedman.