James Foley (director)

Early life and education

Foley was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York, on December 28, 1953, but grew up in Staten Island, New York, the son of a lawyer. He graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a flagship school of the SUNY system, in 1974, with a degree in psychology.

Career

In 1984, Foley made his directorial debut with Reckless, which starred Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah. His 1986 film At Close Range was entered into the 36th Berlin International Film Festival.

In 1990, he wrote and directed After Dark, My Sweet, an adaptation of the Jim Thompson novel of the same name. Film critic Roger Ebert included the film as part of his Great Movies list saying, "After Dark, My Sweet is the movie that eluded audiences; it grossed less than $3 million, has been almost forgotten, and remains one of the purest and most uncompromising of modern film noir. It captures above all the lonely, exhausted lives of its characters." He directed Glengarry Glen Ross, based on the play of the same name by David Mamet, in 1992. The Chamber was based on the novel of the same name by author John Grisham. The Corruptor, his action film starring Chow Yun-Fat and Mark Wahlberg, was released in 1999.

His 2003 film, Confidence, starred Edward Burns. He directed Perfect Stranger, a thriller film starring Halle Berry, in 2007. His last films were the two sequels to Fifty Shades of Grey: Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018).

Foley also directed for television, including 12 episodes of the Netflix series House of Cards.

He often collaborated with cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía, having made five films with him, as well as Madonna's "Live to Tell" music video.

Death

Foley died from brain cancer at his home in Los Angeles, on May 6, 2025, at the age of 71.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Besides the film Who's That Girl (1987), Foley directed the following music videos for Madonna (under the pseudonym "Peter Percher"):

• "Live to Tell" (1986)
• "Papa Don't Preach" (1986)
• "True Blue" (1986)

Foley was also the best man at Madonna's wedding to Sean Penn, although as of 2025, they were not on speaking terms.

Awards and nominations

;Berlin Film Festival

;Deauville American Film Festival

;Golden Raspberry Awards

;Phoenix Film Festival

;Venice Film Festival

References

References

1. McIntosh, Steven. (May 9, 2025). "Fifty Shades director James Foley dies aged 71". [[BBC News]].
2. (May 8, 2025). "James Foley, Who Directed 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' Dies at 71". [[The New York Times]].
3. (February 9, 2022). "Unsung Auteurs: James Foley". [[FilmInk.
4. Maslin, Janet. (February 3, 1984). "The Screen – Reckless". [[The New York Times]].
5. "Berlinale: 1986 Programme". Berlinale.
6. (March 13, 2005). "After Dark, My Sweet movie review (1990)".
7. Scarano, Ross. (July 3, 2014). "Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) – The 100 Best Movies Streaming on Netflix Right Now". [[Complex (magazine).
8. Levy, Emanuel. (March 11, 1999). "Review: 'The Corruptor'". [[Variety (magazine).
9. Fuchs, Cynthia. (April 24, 2003). "Confidence (2003)". [[PopMatters]].
10. Bradshaw, Peter. (April 13, 2007). "Perfect Stranger". [[The Guardian]].
11. LaPorte, Nicole. (August 21, 2005). "‘Stranger’ calling Willis". [[Variety (magazine).
12. (August 20, 2015). "James Foley Frontrunner To Direct 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Sequel For Universal".
13. (November 12, 2015). "'Fifty Shades of Grey' Sequels to Shoot Back to Back, James Foley to Direct Both (Exclusive)". [[TheWrap]].
14. "James Foley".
15. Gardner, Chris. (May 8, 2025). "James Foley, Director of 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' 'House of Cards' and 'Fifty Shades,' Dies at 71".
16. O'Steen, Kathleen. (March 7, 1994). "'Chamber' commerce expected". Variety.
17. "Who's That Girl".
18. Telling, Gillian. (September 3, 2025). "Inside Madonna and Sean Penn's Star-Studded 1985 Beach Wedding: Who Was There and What They Wore".