Born in Chicago, IL; nicknamed "Hurricane Billy." Friedkin's mother was an operating room nurse. His father was a merchant seaman, semi-pro softball player, and ultimately sold clothes in a men's discount chain. He never earned more than $50/week in his whole life and died indigent. Friedkin became infatuated with Orson Welles after seeing CITIZEN KANE. He went to work for WGN TV immediately after graduating from high school where he started making documentaries, one of which won the Golden Gate Award at the 1962 San Francisco Film Festival, and had allegedly worked on over 2,000 shows before graduating to features in the late 1960s. In 1965, he moved to Hollywood and immediately started directing TV shows, including an episode of the "Alfred Hitchcock Hour". Hitchcock chastised him for not wearing a tie. Friedkin joined the front rank of American directors with three adroitly handled and very different films: the finely acted adaptation of Mart Crowley's play The Boys in the Band (1970); the hardhitting Academy Award-winner THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971); and the trendsetting horror masterpiece THE EXORCIST (1973). Friedkin excels at action scenes, particularly the renowned car chases in THE FRENCH CONNECTION and TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1985). Other notable directing credits include THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY'S (1968), SORCERER (1977), THE BRINK'S JOB (1978), BLUE CHIPS (1994), JADE (1995), "12 Angry Men" (1997, MGM Television for Showtime), RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (2000), THE HUNTED (2002), and BUG (2006). Friedkin has been married to actress-director Jeanne Moreau from 1977 until 1979, to actress Lesley-Anne Down from 1982 to 1985, to actress Kelly Lange from 1987 to 1990, and, since 1991, to producer Sherry Lansing.  Directing 1971: THE FRENCH CONNECTION  Nominated for Directing 1973: THE EXORCIST 2 nominations, 1 Award