William Friedkin dead at 87: The Exorcist and The French Connection director passes away in Los Angeles, his wife Sherry Lansing confirms
William Friedkin passed away on Monday morning in Los Angeles at the age of 87.
The news was shared by his 79-year-old wife, Sherry Lansing, who was a movie producer and studio head who now works with charities.
The Oscar-winner had directed the big hit film The French Connection in 1971 that landed him a Best Director Oscar.
And he was at the helm of the horror classic blockbuster The Exorcist starring Linda Blair in 1973.
William had also worked on 1977’s Sorcerer, 1985’s To Live And Die in L.A. and 2006’s Bug.
Sad loss for Hollywood: William Friedkin passed away on Monday morning in Los Angeles at the age of 87. The news was shared by his wife, Sherry Lansing, who was a movie producer and studio head who now works with charities; seen in the 1970s
In recent years: Seen in 2019 in Italy at the presentation of Friedkin Uncut – Un diavolo di regista (A Devil Of Director)
He was born in Chicago in 1935.
In the 1960s he headed to Hollywood for a career in film.
One of his first big gigs was directing an episode of the classic TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Soon he was on to feature films.
He helmed Good Times (1967), The Birthday Party (1968) and The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968).
He got a hit with 1970’s The Boys in the Band.
Then he was handed the job of directing Hollywood A lister Gene Hackman as Detective Popeye Doyle in the 1973 classic The French Connection.
It was a slow burn thriller brought to life with daring car-chase scenes, and it earned William raves.
The film won four other Oscars including Best Picture.
Never a dull moment: He was handed the job of directing Hollywood A lister Gene Hackman as Detective Popeye Doyle in the 1973 classic The French Connection
A winner: He won the Best Director Oscar for his work on The French Connection
Then he got behind the horror film The Exorcist starring Linda Blair as a teenager possessed by the devil.
She levitates and her head spins as a priest (Max von Sydow) tries to save her.
The film won Oscars for Lead Actress Ellen Burstyn and screenwriter William Peter Blatty and also scored Supporting nominations for Blair and Jason Miller.
And it hauled in over $500million, making it one of the most successful horror films of all time.
In 1997 he directed Sorcerer with Roy Scheider of Jaws fame.
At work: Here he is seen in 1974 explaining the next scene to Linda Blair during the making of the Exorcist
As scary as it gets: She levitates and her head spins as a priest (Max von Sydow) tries to save her
The movie was about four unfortunate men from different parts of the globe agree to risk their lives transporting gallons of nitroglycerin across dangerous Latin American jungle.
In 1980 he got a chance to direct acclaimed actor Al Pacino – hot off The Godfather – for the movie Cruising about a police detective goes undercover in the underground S&M gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer who is preying on gay men.
In 1985 he directed what is now the cult classic, To Live And Die in LA, about corruption in the City Of Angels.
The synopsis: A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.
Gritty crime: In 1995 he directed David Caruso, Chazz Palminteri and Linda Fiorentino (pictured) in the thriller Jade about a bright assistant D.A. that investigates a gruesome hatchet murder set in San Francisco
Matteo time: In 2012 he came out with Killer Joe starring Matthew McConaughey (pictured), Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple
Standout: The movie was about a cop (McConaughey) who moonlights as a hit man agrees to kill the hated mother of a desperate drug dealer (Hirsch) in exchange for time with the young man’s virginal sister (Temple)
The film starred William Petersen as U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Chance, and Willem Dafoe as the twisted counterfeit artist Eric Masters.
William then helmed Rampage in 1987, The Guardian in 1990 and an episode of Tales From The Crypt in 1992.
In 1995 he directed David Caruso, Chazz Palminteri and Linda Fiorentino in the thriller Jade about a bright assistant D.A. that investigates a gruesome hatchet murder set in San Francisco.
He won kudos for overseeing the TV movie 12 Angry Men starring Jack Lemmon, Armin Mueller-Stahl, James Gandolfini and George C Scott in 1997.
Then went on to director Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L Jackson in Rules Of Engagement in 2000. The film was about an attorney that defends an officer on trial for ordering his troops to fire on civilians after they stormed a U.S. embassy in a Middle Eastern country.
His powerful wife: Here he is seen with spouse Sherry Lansing at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills in 2017
In 2006 he worked on Bug with Ashley Judd and Harry Connick Jr.
The horror thriller was about an unhinged war veteran holes up with a lonely woman in a spooky Oklahoma motel room. The line between reality and delusion is blurred as they discover a bug infestation.
In 2012 he came out with Killer Joe starring Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple. The movie was about a cop (Matthew McConaughey) who moonlights as a hit man agrees to kill the hated mother of a desperate drug dealer (Emile Hirsch) in exchange for time with the young man’s virginal sister (Juno Temple).
His last released movie was The Devil & Father Amorth about a priest who performs exorcisms on nine Italian women.
His final film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
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