William Friedkin dies at 87: Director of The Exorcist, The French Connection and Sorcerer

Film Director, William Friedkin, who won an Oscar for the film, The French Connection, starring Gene Hackman, has passed away at the age of 87 in Los Angeles. As well as directing the film, The French Connection, William's other well-known films included The Exorcist (with Linda Blair) in 1973, Sorcerer in 1979, To Live And Die in L.A. in 1985 and Bug in 2006.

William, who was the son of Ukranian immigrants was born in Chicago in 1935. Sky News reported that "Friedkin was nominated for an Oscar for his 1973 supernatural horror film The Exorcist-one of the most iconic films in the history of cinema." The article goes on to say that The Exorcist "received 10 Oscar nominations, including one for Friedkin as director and won two, for Blatty's script (William Peter Blatty), and for sound."

William Friedkin is survived by his fourth wife, movie producer Sherry Lansing. His previous wives included newscaster Kelly Lange and actresses Lesley-Anne Down and Jeanne Moreau. Variety reported that "During the 200s, Friedkin took to the bigscreen with 2003 thriller 'The Hunted' starring Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro, and 2007 horror movie 'Bug' starring Ashley Judd and Harry Connick Jr,, with Tracy Letts' adapting his own stage play, which Friedkin had seen in 2004."

In 2012 The Daily Mail reported that Lesley-Anne Down "went through a divorce-from William Friedkin, director of The French Connection and The Exorcist-described by her lawyer as 'the most vicious custody case this town has ever seen'-and fought off the advances of legendary Tinseltown womanisers including Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty."

William Friedkin married Sherry Lansing in 1991, he is also survived by two sons: Jack Friedkin and film editor Cedric Nairn-Smith. According to The Hollywood Reporter Friedkin's "most recent work was a new version of The Caine Mutiny, which has been accepted into the Venice Film Festival, which begins next month."