Mary Steenburgen
American actress, singer and songwriter
William Friedkin, the acclaimed American filmmaker, is best known for his crime thriller “The French Connection” and the horror classic “The Exorcist.” Throughout his career, he has directed a diverse range of films, from dramas and comedies to neo-noirs and psychological thrillers, cementing his place as a prominent figure in the “New Hollywood” movement of the 1970s.
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About the William Friedkin
William David Friedkinwas an American film, television and opera director, producer, and screenwriter who was closely identified with the “New Hollywood” movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in documentaries in the early 1960s, he is best known for his crime thriller film The French Connection (1971), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and the horror film The Exorcist (1973), which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
Friedkin’s other films in the 1970s and 1980s include the drama The Boys in the Band (1970), considered a milestone of queer cinema; the originally deprecated, now lauded thriller Sorcerer (1977); the crime comedy drama The Brink’s Job (1978); the controversial thriller Cruising (1980); and the neo-noir thriller To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). Although Friedkin’s works suffered an overall commercial and critical decline in the late 1980s, his last three feature films, all based on plays, were positively received by critics: the psychological horror film Bug (2006), the crime film Killer Joe (2011), and the legal drama film The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023), released two months after his death. He also worked extensively as an opera director from 1998 until his death, and directed various television films and series episodes for television.
Frequently Asked Questions
William Friedkin is best known for directing the crime thriller film ‘The French Connection’ (1971), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and the horror film ‘The Exorcist’ (1973), which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
In addition to ‘The French Connection’ and ‘The Exorcist’, William Friedkin directed other notable films in the 1970s and 1980s, such as the drama ‘The Boys in the Band’, the thriller ‘Sorcerer’, the crime comedy drama ‘The Brink’s Job’, the controversial thriller ‘Cruising’, and the neo-noir thriller ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’.
William Friedkin was born on August 29, 1935 and passed away on August 7, 2023, at the age of 87.
Although Friedkin’s works suffered an overall commercial and critical decline in the late 1980s, his last three feature films, all based on plays, were positively received by critics: the psychological horror film ‘Bug’ (2006), the crime film ‘Killer Joe’ (2011), and the legal drama film ‘The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial’ (2023), which was released two months after his death.
In addition to his film work, William Friedkin also worked extensively as an opera director from 1998 until his death, and directed various television films and series episodes for television.
William Friedkin began his career in documentaries in the early 1960s before transitioning to feature films, and was closely identified with the ‘New Hollywood’ movement of the 1970s.
Friedkin’s film ‘The French Connection’ won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and he received another Academy Award nomination for Best Director for ‘The Exorcist’.
8 Quotes by William Friedkin
- 1.
I really think that sex always looks kind of funny in a movie.
William FriedkinAmerican director and producer
- 2.
I tend to be attracted to characters who are up against a wall with very few alternatives. And the film then becomes an examination of how they cope with very few options. And that’s, I guess, what interests me in terms of human behavior.
William FriedkinAmerican director and producer
- 3.
Violence is not funny.
William FriedkinAmerican director and producer
- 4.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I feel pressed and tense almost every day of my life about something or other. And I think it’s the one thing, as I look into people’s eyes, that I think I share with almost everybody.
William FriedkinAmerican director and producer
- 5.
The first work of the director is to set a mood so that the actor’s work can take place, so that the actor can create. And in order to do that, you have to communicate, communicate with the actors. And direction is about communication on all levels.
William FriedkinAmerican director and producer
- 6.
Style is something that’s extremely important, but it must grow naturally out of who and what you are and what the material calls for. It cannot be superimposed.
William FriedkinAmerican director and producer
- 7.
Technique is of less interest than character and story.
William FriedkinAmerican director and producer
- 8.
The informing idea of what you want to say and do, that’s what will take you from film school to professional – the idea. That’s what is original to you.
William FriedkinAmerican director and producer