William Friedkin, director of 'The Exorcist,' dies at age 87

The famous film director, William Friedkin, died Monday at the age of 87 from heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air (Los Angeles), announced his wife and former producer, Sherry Lansing.

The American producer and screenwriter was considered one of the most influential talents of his generation. In fact, he won an Oscar in 1972 as best director for "The French Connection."

Friedkin was born in Chicago on August 29, 1935, as the only child of a nurse and a father who changed jobs fairly regularly. He graduated from Senn High School in 1953, and his working life began shortly after that when he decided to answer an ad and arrived at the wrong address, which led to his being hired by WGN. Friedkin was promoted to floor manager and soon became a television director and gradually worked his way up the ladder.

His big-screen career began in 1965 with "Good Timer," a film production starring Sonny and Cher. He followed this with works such as "The Night They Raided Minsky's" and "The Boys in the Band." However, he began to gain notoriety in 1971 with his crime thriller, "The French Connection." This allowed him to continue to grow and consolidate his career as a director with the famous film "The Exorcist," a production that was nominated for an Oscar and won the hearts of the public.

After that, he participated in other incredible productions such as "Sorcerer," "Cruising," "Rules of Engagement," and "The Hunted," among others. Friedkin's most recent works as a director were "The Devil and Father Amorth (2017)" and "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial," which has not yet been released. It is expected to be shown at the Venice International Film Festival between August 30 and September 9 this year.