William Friedkin, director of ‘The Exorcist,’ dead at 87

William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director of 1970s cinematic classics “The Exorcist” and “The French Connection,” has died in Los Angeles. He was 87. The legendary filmmaker’s passing was confirmed by his wife, former producer and Paramount Pictures studio head Sherry Lansing. Friedkin also helmed the groundbreaking gay-themed 1970 drama “The Boys in the Band,” as well as boundary-pushing films such as “Sorcerer” (1977), “Cruising” (1980), “To Live and Die in L.A.” (1985), “Rules of Engagement” (2000), “Bug” (2006) and “Killer Joe” (2011), among others. Although his box office and critical acclaim was often hit or miss, his reputation as an auteur was undisputed in the industry. “I never considered myself the great American anything. Not then and not now. I consider myself just another member of the crew, the highest paid member of the crew,” he once told the Los Angeles Times. “Winning the Academy Award [and the Directors Guild Award for 1971’s ‘The French Connection’] was an enormous honor. But I thought I had won it prematurely, that I hadn’t paid enough dues at that point.”

2023-08-07T19:45:13+00:00
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