The Academy Award-winning director of Silence of the Lambs, Jonathan Demme, has passed away at age 73.
A source close to his family explained that Jonathan Demme died from esophageal cancer and complications from heart disease, according to IndieWire. “He was originally treated for the disease in 2010, but suffered from a recurrence in 2015, and his condition deteriorated in recent weeks,” the publication writes.
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Jonathan Demme’s career in filmmaking spanned across many genres and creative outputs. In 1971, Demme made his debut with the biker flick Angels Hard as They Come.
The late director skyrocketed to a higher level of success with a string of hit movies in the 1980’s.
The most notable film credits of Demme’s work include Melvin and Howard, Philadelphia, Married to the Mob, Rachel Getting Married, Handle with Care, Something Wild.
Also, Demme’s 1991 chilling crime thriller Silence of the Lambs went on to take home the big five awards at the Oscars winning Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
His most recent work included the 2015 Meryl Streep movie Ricki and the Flash and the concert documentary Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids in 2016.
Before his untimely passing, Demme was in the middle of pre-production on an unspecified project. He was also a curator and chairman of the board at the Jacob Burns Film Center.
The last series that Demme directed was a western drama called Saddle Up Saturdays.
Jonathan Demme is survived by his wife Joanne Howard and their three children.
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[H/T IndieWire]
