Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme dies at 73
The Oscar-winning director of The Silence of the Lambs, Jonathan Demme, died Wednesday at the age of 73 due to complications from cancer, Indiewire reports. Demme also directed the AIDS crisis film Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks, and the Talking Heads concert documentary Stop Making Sense.
Demme's most recent films include the Ricki and the Flash, starring Meryl Streep, and Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids, a concert documentary.
Demme was originally treated for esophageal cancer in 2010, but the disease recurred in 2015. Demme is survived by his wife, Joanne Howard, and three adult children.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.