William Friedkin's biography
William Friedkin is 87 years old film director born on on Thursday 29th of August 1935. He is often nicknamed as Hurricane Billy. According to year of birth 1935 he belongs to Silent Generation. Birthday on 29th of August means he is Virgo. Virgo is an earthy sign of Zodiac Belt. People born under this Rising Sign are practical in nature. They believe in reality and represents themselves as a strong person.He was married 4 times.
William Friedkin's spouse
He is married to Sherry Lansing
He is citizen of United States of America. His primary profession is to be film director. You can know him also as film producer, screenwriter. He is recently known as television director. He received Academy Award for Best Director The French Connection in 1971
William Friedkin's family
William Friedkin's spouse
She is known as film actor. His spouse was born on Monday 31st of July 1944 in Chicago.
William Friedkin's ex spouses
Lesley-Anne Down
William Friedkin and Lesley-Anne Down have been together since 1982 for 3 years. She is known as actor. His ex spouse was born on Wednesday 17th of March 1954 in Wandsworth.
Jeanne Moreau
William Friedkin and Jeanne Moreau have been together since 1977 for 2 years. She is known as film actor. His ex spouse was born on Monday 23rd of January 1928 in 10th arrondissement of Paris. His ex spouse died on Monday 31st of July 2017. Jeanne Moreau was 82 years old, when this happened.
Kelly Lange
William Friedkin and Kelly Lange have been together since 1987 for 3 years. She is known as journalist. His ex spouse was born on Tuesday 14th of December 1937 in Boston.
William Friedkin's schools
We found 1 school He attended. Name of the school: Senn High School.
Detailed informations about his schools
- He was not a very good student in high school and only barely graduated.
- Attended high school with writer/director Philip Kaufman.
William Friedkin's career
His main focus is to be film director.
William Friedkin's partners
Jennifer Nairn-Smith
William Friedkin and Jennifer Nairn-Smith have been together since 1973 for 3 years. She is known as dancer.
Kitty Hawks
William Friedkin and Kitty Hawks have been together.
Awards and competitions
William Friedkin's Awards
- He received award for Academy Award for Best Director for work The French Connection in 1971
- He received award for Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film for work The French Connection in 1971
- He received award for Golden Globe Award for Best Director for work The French Connection in 1971
- He received award for Golden Globe Award for Best Director for work The Exorcist in 1973
William Friedkin's Nominations
- He was nominated for Academy Award for Best Director
- He was nominated for Academy Award for Best Director
- He was nominated for Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director for work Cruising in 1981
- He was nominated for Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay for work Cruising in 1981
What William Friedkin has done for a first time
- While on his first directing assignment for The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962), he was reprimanded by Sir Alfred Hitchcock for not wearing a tie.
William Friedkin's quotes
- By the time a film of mine makes it into the theaters, I have a love-hate relationship with it. There is always something I could have done to make it better.
- I consider myself just another member of the crew, the highest paid member of the crew.
- The first thing I look for in an actor is intelligence. I don't really care what they have or haven't done before, so long as they're physically right for the part, or can be, and they have the intelligence to dig in and find out who the character is.
- There's a kind of desperation to the characters I'm interested in. They're all in extremely heightened states in a heightened situation. And in the course of my films, we're exploring all of their fears--the rational and the irrational.
- [on Easy Rider (1969)] It was made for very little money by people who were complete unknowns and it was a great success. It was about the American drug culture. The studios in Hollywood were looking for other young filmmakers to make other such films.
- The Charnier character in The French Connection (1971) is a much more admirable human being than Popeye Doyle. That's the thin line between the policeman and the criminal, and between good and evil.
- [on his first movie, Good Times (1967), a vehicle for Sonny Bono and Cher] If I had made that film in Romania under the Ceausescu regime [Nicolae Ceausescu], I would've been assassinated!
- The most beautiful location in the world doesn't mean shit next to Steve McQueen's face.
- I rehearsed The Exorcist (1973) for a month and the best performances I ever saw of it were left in the rehearsal room. When we finally got to the shooting, it wasn't as fresh.
- The day after I won the Oscar was the only time I ever went to see a psychiatrist. I was profoundly unhappy, I told him I won an Oscar and I didn't think I deserved it.
- I'd rather work with tree stumps than actors.
- [I was] a punk teenager in Chicago and didn't know a damn thing about anything.
- [on Matthew McConaughey] He could charm the mustard off a hot dog.
- Most of my films, when I see them again, I would do everything over and in some cases, would just shitcan the entire thing. Not so with Sorcerer (1977). I can still watch it with some enjoyment. I still get pleasure out of it.
- [on doing Sorcerer (1977) after The Exorcist (1973)] I was looking for a grittier subject that was more in line with the films that I felt the closest kinship to: action-adventure films that were really offbeat but very profound.
- There are just things over which we have no control, and that's one of the themes of Sorcerer (1977). It's the main theme--that no matter how difficult your struggle is, there's no guarantee of a successful outcome.
- Sorcerer (1977) is the only film I've made that I wouldn't change a frame of.
- I've never seen a more terrifying film than The Babadook (2014). It will scare the hell out of you as it did me. Psycho (1960), Alien (1979), Les Diaboliques (1955), and now The Babadook (2014).
- Any schmuck with an iPhone is a film critic today. What qualifies someone to be a film critic? Why should I believe one person's review over another's? What would prompt me to accept criticism? [2018]
- I can't tell you that I actually understand the true nature of any character I've ever depicted in a film. I just believe that there are tremendous complexities to people. And that's what I try to show.
- See also Other Works |Â Publicity Listings |Â Official Sites
William Friedkin's body shape
Lets describe how William Friedkin looks. We will focus on his body shape. Body build is average.