William Friedkin

William Friedkin News
Credits: Far Out / Guillem Medina
Full Name
William David Friedkin
Born
August 29th, 1935
Height
5ft 10in
Hometown
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Net Worth
Estimated $70 million
Partner
Sherry Lansing
Family
William Friedkin was born to Louis Friedkin, a semi-professional softball player and merchant seaman, and Rachel Green Friedkin, a nurse, in Chicago, Illinois. He was an only child and credited his parents with encouraging his love of storytelling despite modest circumstances. Friedkin was married four times, most notably to former Paramount Pictures chief executive Sherry Lansing, whom he married in 1991. He had two sons, Jackson and Cedric.
Top Movies
'The French Connection', 'The Exorcist', 'Sorcerer', 'To Live and Die in LA', 'Bug'
Top Shows
'C.A.T. Squad', 'The Twilight Zone' (director), 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' (director)
Awards
Academy Award for 'Best Director', BAFTA Award for 'Best Direction', Golden Globe Award for 'Best Director', Directors Guild of America Award for 'Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures'
Fun Facts
William Friedkin began his career directing documentaries for Chicago television station WGN-TV before moving into feature films. ### The Exorcist' became the first horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for 'Best Picture'. ### Friedkin was renowned for demanding realism, famously filming the iconic car chase in 'The French Connection' on live New York streets with minimal permits.
Related Actors
Gene Hackman, Ellen Burstyn, Roy Scheider, Willem Dafoe, Matthew McConaughey

William Friedkin was an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter whose bold, uncompromising style made him one of the defining directors of the New Hollywood era. Rising to prominence in the late 1960s and 1970s, Friedkin achieved international acclaim with ‘The French Connection’, which won five Academy Awards including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’, and the landmark horror film ‘The Exorcist’, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential horror films ever made. Throughout his career, he explored crime, suspense and psychological drama in films such as ‘Sorcerer’, ‘Cruising’, ‘To Live and Die in LA’, ‘Bug’ and ‘Killer Joe’. Renowned for his intense realism, documentary-inspired filmmaking and willingness to challenge audiences, Friedkin remains one of American cinema’s most influential directors.

William Friedkin News

More About William Friedkin

William Friedkin was an American filmmaker best known for directing 'The French Connection' and 'The Exorcist', two of the defining films of 1970s cinema.
'The Exorcist' and 'The French Connection' are widely regarded as William Friedkin's two greatest and most influential films.
Yes. William Friedkin won the Academy Award for 'Best Director' for 'The French Connection' (1971).
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