 Ellen Burstyn has shared her own tribute among many to 'genius' Oscar winner William Friedkin, who directed her in the horror classic The Exorcist, after his death. The director died aged 87 at his Los Angeles home on Monday, his wife Sherry Lansing shared. His death was also confirmed by Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Lansing's, with The New York Times reporting the cause as heart failure and pneumonia. Burstyn was guided to her second Oscar nomination of her current six (with one win) for her turn as Chris MacNeil, the mother of possessed teenager Regan (Linda Blair) in the 1973 box office smash. 'My friend Bill Friedkin was an original; smart, cultured, fearless and wildly talented,' she said. 'On the set, he knew what he wanted, would go to any length to get it and was able to let it go if he saw something better happening.' Friedkin and Burstyn together on the set of The Exorcist, for which they were both Oscar-nominated (Picture: Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock) Burstyn played the mother of possessed 12-year-old Regan (Linda Blair) (Picture: Moviestore/Rex/Shutterstock) 'He was undoubtedly a genius,' she added, in a statement shared with Deadline. Burstyn is set to reprise her role in a new Exorcist trilogy produced by Blumhouse and Universal, which was announced back in 2021. The Exorcist: Believer, the first film in the new franchise, is set for release later this year, with Leslie Odom Jr cast in the new leading parent role. Horror producer Jason Blumhouse also shared his own statement on the death of Friedkin, in which he said he was 'personally indebted to William Friedkin and saddened by his loss' The director died aged 87 on Monday (Picture: Camilla Morandi/Shutterstock) Actress Burstyn proclaimed him 'undoubtedly a genius' (Picture: Getty) 'More than any other filmmaker, he changed both the way directors approached horror films){kind=link}
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Ellen Burstyn has shared her own tribute among many to ‘genius’ Oscar winner William Friedkin, who directed her in the horror classic The Exorcist, after his death.
The director died aged 87 at his Los Angeles home on Monday, his wife Sherry Lansing shared.
His death was also confirmed by Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Lansing’s, with The New York Times reporting the cause as heart failure and pneumonia.
Burstyn was guided to her second Oscar nomination of her current six (with one win) for her turn as Chris MacNeil, the mother of possessed teenager Regan (Linda Blair) in the 1973 box office smash.