James Foley, director of ‘Fifty Shades' sequels and award-winning ‘Glengarry Glen Ross' starring Al Pacino, dies at 71
LOS ANGELES, May 9 — James Foley, the acclaimed director behind Glengarry Glen Ross, and who worked with stars like Al Pacino, Madonna, and Chow Yun-fat, has died at 71-years old.
His death occurred at his home here earlier this week, after a year-long battle with brain cancer, The Los Angeles Times reported today, citing Foley's representative Florent Lamy.
'James Foley was not only a talented director but also a dear friend.
'He was one of my very first clients, and over time, he became someone very special in my life,' Lamy was quoted as saying.
Foley was best known for his dark, atmospheric films and collaborations with Hollywood stars such as Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Madonna, and Halle Berry.
His directing debut came in 1984 with Reckless, a musical romance starring Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn.
He followed that with At Close Range in 1986, a neo-noir film that starred Sean Penn and Christopher Walken and featured the Madonna hit Live to Tell.
Madonna, who was then married to Penn, went on to work with Foley on multiple music videos and her 1987 feature film Who's That Girl.
But Foley's most iconic film was the 1992 adaptation of Glengarry Glen Ross, which earned Pacino an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe.
The all-star cast also included Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, and Alan Arkin.
In the 1990s, Foley directed After Dark, My Sweet, a film entertainment news outlet Variety praised as 'as potent as a snakebite' for its emotional realism and neo-noir style.
His later film work included Confidence, The Chamber, The Corrupter starring Chow, Two Bits, and Perfect Stranger with Bruce Willis and Berry.
Foley also directed Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, sequels to the global hit Fifty Shades of Grey.
In television, he directed an episode of the original Twin Peaks and later worked on hit series including House of Cards, Billions, Wayward Pines, and Hannibal.
Born in Brooklyn, Foley studied film at the University of Southern California, where a chance meeting with Harold and Maude director Hal Ashby helped launch his career.
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