William Friedkin, born on August 29, 1935, is a film director from the United States. He has won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director.
Friedkin is the son of Rachael (née Green) and Louis Friedkin and was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Ukrainian Jewish emigrants. Friedkin was educated at Chicago public schools. He enrolled in Senn High School and finished with honors at 16.
He began working in the WGN-TV mailroom after graduating from high school. When he was 18, he began directing live television programs and documentaries.
How Many Awards Has William Friedkin Won?
According to Wikipedia, William Friedkin has won 16 awards and 12 nominations, including international and domestic awards. Amongst his 16 awards, the most coveted ones were the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for Best Director for The French Connection (1971), Golden Globes for Best Director for The Exorcist (1973), FIPRESCI for Bug (2006) at Cannes Film Festival, Golden Lion and Career Golden Lion for Killer Joe (2011) in Venice Film Festival, and so on.
Additionally, he has won awards like Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, Cognac Festival Du Film Policier, Empire Awards, Directors Guilds of America, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Palm Beach International Film Festival, Munich Film Festival, and many more. He won those awards in various categories: the People’s Choice Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Cinemerit Award, etc.
Wives of William Friedkin
William Friedkin, who is 85 years old, has been married four times. Jeanne Moreau was his first wife, whom he married on February 8, 1977, and divorced in 1979. She was a socialite, actor, singer, playwright, and director from France.
Lesley-Anne Down is his second wife, whom he married in 1982 and divorced in 1985. She is a British actress, former model, and singer born on March 17, 1954.
Kelly Lange, whom he married on June 7, 1987, and divorced in 1990, is his third wife. She is a journalist from the United States who was born on December 14, 1937. She is well known for being the first woman to anchor a nightly newscast in Los Angeles.
@EricJLyman @PieraDetassis @fvacal William Friedkin and wife #VeniceFilmFestival pic.twitter.com/2uP9jagiwo
— pascal vicedomini (@pascalvicedomin) August 27, 2013
Sherry Lansing is his current and fourth wife, whom he married on July 6, 1991. She is an American former actress and film studio executive born on July 31, 1944.
William Friedkin Children and How much is his Net worth in 2022?
William Friedkin has two children who have two different mothers. William was engaged to Jennifer Nairn-Smith in 1972, but they never married. However, they did have a son, Cedric Friedkin, born on November 27, 1976. Cedric is a film editor.
Furthermore, Friedkin and his second wife, Lesley, also had a son, Jack Friedkin, born in 1983. Jack is a top-tier real estate agent.
https://t.co/iAJAPC2mB8
— William Friedkin (@WilliamFriedkin) October 29, 2021
William Friedkin has an estimated net worth of $70 million. His primary source of income is directing, producing, and screenwriting, which helped him collect such a big fortune. He started with documentaries and later moved on to big-movie projects.
He began directing live television events and documentaries when he was 18. The People vs. Paul Crump (1962), which won an award at the San Francisco International Film Festival, was one of his works.