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

WASHINGTON (TND) — Director William Friedkin, best known for the blockbuster hit "The Exorcist" and Oscar-winning "The French Connection," has died at 87.

A representative from his office told The Associated Press he died Monday in Los Angeles.

The 1973 horror movie, "The Exorcist" is about a teenage girl possessed by Satan and earned more than $440 million globally.

While "The French Connection" involved a high-octane car chase in a crime thriller about a New York narcotics detective. Friedkin told NBC News in 2021 he "took too many chances" while filming the famous car chase.

“The fact that nobody got hurt is a miracle,” he told NBC News. “The fact that I didn’t get killed, the fact that some of the crew members didn’t get hurt or killed. That’s a chance I would never take again. I was young and I didn’t give a damn. I just went out and did it.”

He was also known for directing cult favorites such as "Sorcerer," "Cruising" with Al Pacino and "To Live and Die in L.A."

He was born on Aug. 29, 1935, in Chicago and got his start in local television and documentary projects. By age 16 he was directing live shows.

“My main influence was dramatic radio when I was a kid,” he said in a 2001 interview. “I remember listening to it in the dark, Everything was left to the imagination. It was just sound. I think of the sounds first and then the images.”

His new film "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.

Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.