Jonathan Demme, who won an Oscar for directing “The Silence of the Lambs,” died Wednesday morning in New York at the age of 73.
TheWrap has learned that Demme died of esophageal cancer. He was originally treated for the disease in 2010, but suffered from a recurrence in 2015. His condition deteriorated in recent weeks leading to his passing.
He also directed the acclaimed film “Rachel Getting Married,” which starred Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt and Bill Irwin.
In 2010, Demme dipped his toes into theater, directing “Family Week,” a play by Beth Henley which was produced by MCC Theater and co-starred DeWitt and Sarah Jones.
He has also directed music videos for artists including New Order, Suburban Lawns and Bruce Springsteen. His last feature was 2016’s “Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids,” a concert documentary made for Netflix that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Demme is also beloved for “Stop Making Sense,” the famed Talking Heads concert film.
In his earlier years, Demme was a member of the committee of the Friends of the Apollo Theater in Oberlin, Ohio, along with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman.
Demme is survived by his wife, the artist Joanne Howard, and their three children.