Director Jonathan Demme has passed away this morning at the age of 73. The cause of death was esophageal cancer and complications from heart disease, a source close to the family confirmed. Demme is survived by his wife, artist Joanne Howard, and their three children.
He was best known for his work on the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia. He also had quite the career in documentary films with his debut being a 1971 biker film Angels Hard as They Come, a Roger Corman production, along with successes from 80’s dramas, including Melvin and Howard, Swing Shift, and Something Wild.
He recently directed Meryl Streep in Ricki and the Flash in 2015 and a concert documentary Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids in 2016.
