James Foley, the acclaimed filmmaker best known for directing the Fifty Shades of Grey films and working closely with Madonna, has passed away at 71 following a lengthy battle with brain cancer, dailystar.co.uk reports.
According to the outlet, his publicist confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday that Foley “died peacefully in his sleep earlier this week”.
The versatile director’s career spanned decades of influential work in both film and music video production.
Beyond the commercially successful Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, Foley established himself as a respected filmmaker with titles including Glengarry Glen Ross, widely considered his masterpiece, and the Madonna-starring Who’s That Girl.
His relationship with Madonna extended beyond their professional collaboration. Under the pseudonym Peter Percher, Foley directed several of the pop icon’s most iconic music videos, including “Live to Tell,” “Papa Don’t Preach,” and “True Blue.” Their friendship ran so deep that Foley served as best man at Madonna’s 1985 wedding to Sean Penn.
Foley’s career began with a fortuitous encounter with legendary director Hal Ashby during film school. After completing studies at New York University and the University of Southern California, Foley recalled how Ashby attended a student film screening party and noticed his work projected on a wall. This chance meeting launched what would become a distinguished directorial career.
Tributes have poured in across social media, with fans highlighting both his commercial successes and artistic achievements. One fan wrote, “His Glengarry Glen Ross is a masterpiece, packed with powerhouse performances balanced to perfection by Foley. It is, and always will be, an essential classic.”
•Featured image: James Foley/BANG Showbiz)
