Oscar-winning director William Friedkin – the brains behind cult 70s horror The Exorcist – has sadly passed away aged 87, his wife Sherry Lansing has revealed.
Friedkin, who is believed to have suffered with ill health in recent years, scooped numerous awards in a career spanning six decades.
He won the Academy Awards’ best director gong for his work on thriller The French Connection (1971), whilst numerous other productions including Sorcerer and To Live and Die in L.A. earned him critical acclaim.
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It is his 1973 hit, The Exorcist, however, for which he will arguably be most fondly remembered, a picture that reportedly grossed a staggering $500m (£391m) in 1973.
(Image: Jim Smeal/BEI/REX/Shutterstock)
Based on a novel of the same title from two years earlier, the film terrified a generation with the story of a demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl.
It featured numerous spooky scenes, most famously ones that saw the youngster’s head spin 360 degrees and vomit in a projectile manner over Father Damien Karras’ face.
Friedkin’s widow Lansing – a film studio executive herself – told the BBC: “He had a wonderful life. He was almost 88 – he has a new movie coming out.”
(Image: PA)
She continued: “He was the most wonderful husband in the world. He was the most wonderful father in the world. He had a big, wonderful life. There was no dream unfulfilled.”
As Hollywood comes to terms with the loss of a legend, tributes from across the entertainment industry have begun to flood in.
Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood wrote: “Aww man…a true cinematic master whose influence will continue to extend forever. So long, William Friedkin.”
(Image: Lions Gate/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
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Musician and actor Sting added: “William Friedkin has sadly passed away. Friedkin was an astoundingly talented director. The French Connection has never left my top 10 greatest films ever list.
“He made so many classic movies and in 1973 he scared the crap out of everyone with The Exorcist. We’ve lost a master.”
Author Stephen King said: “Very sorry to hear of the passing of William Friedkin, a deeply talented filmmaker. THE EXORCIST is great, but for me the real classic was SORCERER.”
And Simpsons writer Mark Reiss revealed: “When working on the Mr. Plow show, we heard that William Friedkin was a fan of @TheSimpsons. So we put in a parody of his film SORCERER just for him. Years later he visited the show, charmed everyone, and even wound up as a guest star. RIP a great guy.”
(Image: Frank Worth/ZUMA Press Wire Service/REX/Shutterstock)
Chicago-born Friedkin’s later work saw him direct 2006 psychological thriller, Bug, for which he won the FIPRESCI prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Five years later he directed black comedy Killer Joe, before releasing his memoir, The Friedkin Connection in 2013.
In August 2022, it was announced that Friedkin would be returning to film direct an adaptation of the play The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, which proved to be his final works. Starring Kiefer Sutherland, it is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
