William Friedkin (1935, Chicago) is a North-American director, best known for directing The French Connection (1971), which earned him the Academy Award for Best Director, and The Exorcist (1973), one of the most famous horror films up to today.
He continued his career with films such as Sorcerer (1977), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Cruising (1980), Bug (2006) and Killer Joe (2011), which was awarded a Golden Mouse at the Venice Film Festival, among many other nominations.