William Friedkin: Oscar-Winning Director of The French Connection and Th

William Friedkin was an American film director, producer and screenwriter, best known for The French Connection and The Exorcist, landmark films of the New Hollywood era. Born William David Friedkin on August 29, 1935, in Chicago, he began his career in live television before turning to film.

Friedkin won the Academy Award for Best Director for The French Connection in 1972, and the film also won Best Picture. The Exorcist (1973) earned 10 Oscar nominations, including a Best Director nomination for Friedkin, and won two. His 1970 film The Boys in the Band is considered a milestone of queer cinema, and Bug won the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes in 2006.

Friedkin was married to Jeanne Moreau, Lesley-Anne Down, Kelly Lange and, from 1991 until his death, to film executive Sherry Lansing. He had two sons. He died at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, on August 7, 2023, at age 87, of heart failure and pneumonia. Remembered for his raw, kinetic style, he influenced generations of filmmakers.

Achievements: Won the Academy Award for Best Director for The French Connection (1972), directed The Exorcist with 10 Oscar nominations (1974), directed The Boys in the Band (1970), won the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes for Bug (2006).

Birth: August 29, 1935 - Chicago, Illinois.

Profession: Film director, producer and screenwriter.

Interesting Facts: His film Sorcerer (1977) opened a week after Star Wars and was overshadowed, but later came to be highly regarded. Alfred Hitchcock once scolded him for not wearing a tie while directing an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.