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Acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker William Friedkin, director of iconic films such as The French Connection and The Exorcist, died on August 7, 2023 at the age of 87. Friedkin was a towering figure of American cinema’s New Hollywood era, helping to usher in an age of gritty, realistic filmmaking in the 1970s. Known for his intense energy and at times combative personality, Friedkin pushed boundaries on screen and off throughout his decades-long career. His seminal 1971 crime thriller The French Connection earned him an Academy Award for Best Director, while 1973’s The Exorcist terrified audiences and became one of the most profitable and influential horror films ever made. Though Friedkin never fully recaptured the critical and commercial heights of his early career, his bold directorial vision left an indelible mark on cinema. He is survived by his fourth wife, former Paramount Pictures CEO Sherry Lansing, and two sons from previous marriages. Hollywood has lost one of its true maverick directors.

Grew up in Chicago, discovered movies as a teen

William Friedkin grew up in Chicago, Illinois and discovered his passion for movies during his teenage years. Born in 1935 as the son of working-class Jewish parents, a young Friedkin found escape in trips to the cinema. He later cited films like Citizen Kane as key influences that opened his eyes to the power of the medium, along with Alfred Hitchcock’s work and documentaries that gave him a taste for realism. According to Friedkin himself, he did not excel in school, barely graduating at age 16. But movies motivated the restless, creative youth in a way formal education did not. Though he started working in television soon after high school, Friedkin’s heart belonged to film. His early discovery of cinema as a teenager in Chicago set the stage for his boundary-pushing directorial career.

Directed gritty, intense films like The French Connection and The Exorcist in the 1970s

In the 1970s, William Friedkin directed two of the most iconic and influential films of the era – 1971’s The French Connection and 1973’s The Exorcist. Marked by documentary-like realism, The French Connection was a gritty crime thriller that earned Friedkin an Academy Award for Best Director. The Exorcist terrified audiences with its intense and shocking depiction of demonic possession, becoming one of the most profitable and groundbreaking horror films ever made. These seminal works exemplified the boundary-pushing aesthetics of the New Hollywood movement, favoring raw authenticity over studio gloss. Friedkin’s directorial style matched the bold content, as he pushed actors and crew to create visceral, unflinching films that reflected the social tensions of the times. Though controversial, films like The French Connection and The Exorcist had an indelible impact, proving William Friedkin to be one of the defining directors of 1970s American cinema.

Pushed boundaries and clashed with studios throughout his career

Known for his fiery personality and uncompromising vision, William Friedkin frequently pushed boundaries and clashed with studio executives throughout his decades-long career. Even after the massive success of The French Connection and The Exorcist, Friedkin resisted softening his directorial approach and bucked against mainstream conventions. Films like 1977’s Sorcerer were ambitious and gritty when studios wanted blockbuster escapism, leading to conflicts. While some of Friedkin’s later boundary-pushing films like Cruising and To Live and Die in L.A. found appreciation over time, they were initially met with controversy and mediocre box office due to their challenging themes and style. Friedkin insisted on his uncompromising methods on set as well, notoriously difficult to please. Though his clashes with Hollywood sometimes left projects dead in the water, Friedkin held to his maverick ideals. For better or worse, his willingness to push boundaries and lock horns defined his reputation as a director.

Struggled to match early successes, but made bold films like To Live and Die in L.A.

After the massive critical and commercial triumphs of The French Connection and The Exorcist in the early 1970s, William Friedkin struggled to replicate that level of success in his later career. Films like Sorcerer, Cruising, and Deal of the Century were either financial disappointments or controversial critical flops. Though he received praise for 1985’s To Live and Die in L.A., a gritty neo-noir thriller, many of his subsequent movies failed to capture the same attention as his early work. However, Friedkin continued to direct with his signature bold style, even if the projects themselves were not major hits. Movies like Rampage, Jade, and Killer Joe showed he retained his creative vision and desire to push boundaries, even if his glory days had passed. While he never fully recaptured the iconic status he earned early on, Friedkin remained an ambitious filmmaker, forging ahead with his trademark intensity.

Influenced generations of Hollywood directors with his groundbreaking work

Though his directorial career had its share of ups and downs, William Friedkin’s seminal films of the 1970s proved massively influential for generations of Hollywood filmmakers. The gritty realism and kinetic energy Friedkin brought to The French Connection established a new benchmark for action sequences and police procedurals that can be felt in movies to this day. Similarly, the shocking intensity and visual invention he unleashed in The Exorcist set a bold new standard for horror cinema, from both a technical and thematic perspective. Friedkin’s willingness to portray raw violence and moral ambiguity was groundbreaking, paving the way for other boundary-pushing directors. Though not all of his films achieved masterpiece status, at his best Friedkin exemplified the daring possibilities of American film. His early masterworks and uncompromising directorial vision showed the heights that cinema could reach in the right hands, forever shaping the creative ambitions of directors to come.

Married 4 times, fathered 2 sons

In his personal life, William Friedkin was married four times, to actresses Jeanne Moreau and Lesley-Anne Down, news anchor Kelly Lange, and studio executive Sherry Lansing. He also had high-profile romantic relationships with Kitty Hawks, daughter of director Howard Hawks, and Australian dancer Jennifer Nairn-Smith. Friedkin fathered two sons – Jack, with second wife Lesley-Anne Down in 1982, and Cedric, with Nairn-Smith in 1976. Though known for being uncompromising creatively, Friedkin experienced his share of turbulence in his romantic life. His first three marriages ended in divorce, while his partnership with Nairn-Smith also ultimately dissolved despite becoming parents together. Friedkin’s fourth marriage to Lansing proved his most enduring, lasting from 1991 until his death. Though focused intensely on his directing career, fatherhood was also said to be profoundly important to Friedkin. Despite the instability of his marriages, his two sons and handful of grandkids brought the prickly cinematic genius happiness in his later years.

Died at age 87 in Los Angeles

On August 7, 2023, legendary director William Friedkin passed away at the age of 87 in Los Angeles, California. According to a statement from his family, Friedkin died of natural causes at his home in the Bel Air neighborhood, surrounded by loved ones. Though his health had been declining in recent years, he remained active in the cinema community, receiving lifetime achievement awards as recently as 2017. Friedkin’s death marks the end of an era for Hollywood, as one of the last major directors of the seminal New Hollywood movement of the 1970s. However, the daring innovation and boundless creativity he brought to classics like The French Connection and The Exorcist will live on for decades to come. William Friedkin leaves behind an unmatched cinematic legacy, one that forever changed the landscape of American filmmaking.

Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to meet the body’s needs. It can be caused by coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, or other conditions that damage the heart. Symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling in the legs.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It leads to inflammation and fluid buildup that makes breathing painful and limits oxygen circulation. Symptoms include cough, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing.
Both heart failure and pneumonia are common causes of death in elderly populations. Heart failure makes one prone to fatal pneumonia by limiting circulation and the body’s ability to fight lung infection.
Treatment for heart failure aims to improve heart function with medications and reduce fluid buildup. Pneumonia is treated with antibiotics, rest, fluids, and oxygen support in severe cases.
However, in elderly and frail individuals with underlying heart issues, pneumonia can quickly become life-threatening due to the heart’s limited ability to compensate. Both conditions together can overwhelm the body’s systems.
Friedkin’s death at 87 from heart failure complicated by pneumonia is a common end for those with chronic cardiac issues who contract severe lung infection. The combination can prove difficult to recover from at an advanced age given the vital organs affected.

Image – Line Drawing of

Català: William Friedkin, fotografiat durant el Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya (Sitges, 2017)

English: Filmmaker William Friedkin, photographed during the 2017 Sitges Film Festival GuillemMedina Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

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