U.S. film director, actor and screenwriter Jonathan Demme, who directed 1991 Oscar winning horror thriller "The Silence of the Lambs," has died.
Demme, one of the most eclectic, delightful and original film-makers in Hollywood, died in NewYork City Wednesday at the age of 73 from complications from oesophageal cancer.
Demme rose to prominence in the 1980s with his comedy films "Melvin and Howard" (1980), "Stop Making Sense" (1984), "Swing Shift" (1984), "Something Wild" (1986) and "Married to the Mob" (1988), but it was "The Silence of the Lambs" that gave Demme his first taste of box-office success in nearly two decades into his career.
The film earned him the Oscar award for Best Director and four other Big Academy Awards - Best Picture, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Tally), making it only the third film in history to accomplish that feat.
His other notable films include the aids drama "Philadelphia" (1993) and a remake of "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004).
Demme's last credit as a director was an episode of U.S. TV show "Shots Fired."
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