Veteran filmmaker remembered for his work in film noir and collaborations with Hollywood icons
James Foley, the director known for acclaimed films such as Glengarry Glen Ross, At Close Range, and Fear, has died at the age of 71. He passed away earlier this week at his home in Los Angeles after a year-long battle with brain cancer, a representative confirmed.
Foley was celebrated for his dark, atmospheric storytelling and his ability to draw powerful performances from top Hollywood talent. Over his career, he worked with stars including Sean Penn, Madonna, Al Pacino, Halle Berry, and Bruce Willis.
Born in Brooklyn, Foley began his career after graduate studies at USC, where a student film caught the attention of Harold and Maude director Hal Ashby. Although Ashby’s production company eventually ran out of funding, the introduction helped Foley land his first feature directing job on Reckless (1984), a musical romance starring Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn.
He gained wider recognition with At Close Range (1986), a neo-noir crime drama starring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. The film featured the Madonna song “Live to Tell,” and Foley later directed several music videos for the pop icon. He also helmed Madonna’s 1987 comedy Who’s That Girl, which was a box office disappointment. Reflecting on the experience, Foley once said, “That first failure is so shocking.”
Foley’s most critically acclaimed work came with Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), an adaptation of David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The film earned Al Pacino an Oscar nomination and featured an ensemble cast that included Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, and Alan Arkin.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Foley continued directing a range of films. Highlights included After Dark, My Sweet (1990), a California-set noir praised for its emotional depth, and Confidence (2003), a heist thriller. He also directed Perfect Stranger (2007), starring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis, as well as The Chamber, The Corrupter, and Two Bits with Pacino.
In television, Foley directed episodes of several notable series, including the original Twin Peaks, House of Cards, Billions, Wayward Pines, and Hannibal. He directed 12 episodes of House of Cards and also helmed the second and third installments of the Fifty Shades of Grey film series.
Foley is survived by his brother Kevin Foley (Mary Anne Myers), sisters Eileen and Jo Ann, and nephew Quinn (fiancée Antea Kalinic). He was predeceased by his brother Gerald (Ann Marie Quinn Foley).
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