Biography
William Friedkin (August 29, 1935 - August 7, 2023) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing "The French Connection" (1971) and "The Exorcist" (1973); for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director. Some of his other notable films include "The Boys in the Band" (1970), "Sorcerer" (1977), "Cruising" (1980), "To Live and Die in L.A." (1985), "Blue Chips" (1994), "Jade" (1995), "Rules of Engagement" (2000), "The Hunted" (2003), "Bug" (2006), and "Killer Joe" (2011).
In 1965, Friedkin moved to Hollywood and two years later released his first feature film, "Good Times," starring Sonny and Cher. Several other "art" films followed, including the adaptation of Mart Crowley's "The Boys in the Band" and most notably "The Birthday Party," based on an unpublished screenplay by Harold Pinter, which he adapted from his own play. Friedkin, however, did not want to be known as an art house director, but rather for action and serious drama through stories about an America upended by crime, hypocrisy, the occult, and amorality. All of which he mounted up into his films to reflect what was going on in an America that was changing in the wake of Vietnam, the Sexual Revolution, and Watergate.
In 1971, his "The French Connection" was released to wide critical acclaim. Shot in a gritty style more suited for documentaries than Hollywood features, the film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Friedkin followed up with 1973's "The Exorcist," based on William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel, which revolutionized the horror genre and is considered by some critics to be one of the greatest horror movies of all time. "The Exorcist" was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It won the Best Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing.
Following these two pictures, Friedkin, along with Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich, was deemed one of the premier directors of New Hollywood. In 1973, the trio announced the formation of an independent production company at Paramount, The Directors Company. Whereas Coppola directed "The Conversation" and Bogdanovich the Henry James adaptation, "Daisy Miller," Friedkin abruptly left the company, which was soon closed by Paramount. Friedkin's later movies did not achieve the same success. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Friedkin's films received mostly lackluster reviews and moderate ticket sales. However, his action/crime movie "To Live and Die in L.A." (1985), starring William Petersen and Willem Dafoe, was a critical favorite and drew comparisons to Friedkin's own "The French Connection" (particularly for its car-chase sequence). In 2011, Friedkin directed "Killer Joe," a black comedy written by Tracy Letts, and starring Matthew McConaughey. Killer Joe premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival, prior to its North American debut at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. In April 2013, Friedkin published a memoir, "The Friedkin Connection." He was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the 70th Venice International Film Festival in September.
Filmography
all 102
Movies 90
self 61
Director 37
TV Shows 12
Fear and Love: The Story of The Exorcist (2024)
The Exorcist Untold (2023)
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (2023)
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023)
100 Years of Warner Bros. (2023)
Algren (2021)
I Am Alfred Hitchcock (2021)
The Exorcism of Roland Doe (2021)
Fellini of the Spirits (2020)
Friedkin Uncut (2018)
The Devil and Father Amorth (2018)
Return to the Genre (2016)
Sorcerers: A Conversation with William Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn (2015)
Verdi Aida (2015)
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles (2014)
Henri Langlois vu par... (2014)
The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (2013)
A Fuller Life (2013)
Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck (2013)
Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot (2013)
Stanley Kubrick in Focus (2012)
Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic (2012)
Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of (2012)
Killer Joe (2011)
Making the Boys (2011)
Miller's Tale (2011)
Godard Made in USA (2010)
The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now (2010)
Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist (2010)
Fasten Your Seatbelt: The Thrilling Art of Alfred Hitchcock (2009)
North by Northwest: One for the Ages (2009)
Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman (2009)
Hollywood's Best Film Directors (2009)
Anatomy of a Chase (2009)
The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style (2009)
Breaking Barriers: The Sound of Hitchcock (2008)
Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock (2008)
In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy (2008)
The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't (2008)
View from the Overlook: Crafting 'The Shining' (2007)
Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 (2007)
Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making 'A Clockwork Orange' (2007)
The Visions of Stanley Kubrick (2007)
The History of 'Cruising' (2007)
Exorcising 'Cruising' (2007)
Tatort Oper - Wie Filmemacher Oper machen (2007)
The Painter's Voice (2007)
The Man Who Shot Chinatown: The Life and Work of John A. Alonzo (2007)
Bug (2006)
Shadows of Suspense (2006)
Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy (2005)
A Little Solitaire (2004)
Leçon de Cinéma (2004)
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.' (2003)
Pursuing “The Hunted” (2003)
Filming “The Hunted” (2003)
The Cutting Edge (2003)
A Decade Under the Influence (2003)
The Hunted (2003)
Through the Night with... (2002)
Making the Connection: Untold Stories of 'The French Connection' (2001)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)
Rules of Engagement (2000)
The Poughkeepsie Shuffle: Tracing 'The French Connection' (2000)
The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist (1998)
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy (1998)
12 Angry Men (1997)
Hollywood Halloween (1997)
Howard Hawks: American Artist (1997)
Jade (1995)
Jailbreakers (1994)
Rebel Highway (1994)
Blue Chips (1994)
Fear in the Dark (1991)
The Horror Hall of Fame (1990)
The Guardian (1990)
The Simpsons (1989)
Tales from the Crypt (1989)
C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf (1988)
Rampage (1987)
C.A.T. Squad (1986)
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
The Twilight Zone (1985)
Putting it Together: The Making of the Broadway Album (1985)
Deal of the Century (1983)
Cruising (1980)
The Brink's Job (1978)
Sorcerer (1977)
Conversation with Fritz Lang (1975)
The Exorcist (1973)
The French Connection (1971)
The Boys in the Band (1970)
The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968)
The Birthday Party (1968)
Good Times (1967)
The Pickle Brothers (1967)
The Thin Blue Line (1966)
Pro Football: Mayhem on a Sunday Afternoon (1965)
The Bold Men (1965)
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962)
The People vs. Paul Crump (1962)
The Oscars (1953)
Ratings
Gallery
Information
Known ForDirecting
GenderMale
Birthday1935-08-29
Deathday2023-08-07 (87 years old)
Birth PlaceChicago, United States of America
ReligionJudaism
Height1.83-meter
RelationshipsLesley-Anne Down (1982-01-01 - 1985-01-01), Sherry Lansing (1991-07-06 - 2023-08-07), Kelly Lange (1987-06-07 - 1990-01-01), Jeanne Moreau (1977-02-08 - 1979-01-01), Jennifer Nairn-Smith (1973-01-01 - 1976-01-01)
SpouseSherry Lansing
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
Also Known As윌리엄 프리드킨, 윌리암 프리드킨
AwardsSitges Grand Honorary Award, star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Officer of Arts and Letters, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, The George Pal Memorial Award, Robert Honorary Award, Leopard of Honour, Golden Globe Award for Best Director, Academy Award for Best Director
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