William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director, died today, Monday, in Los Angeles, at the age of 87, as reported by his wife and former studio chief Sherry Lansing to the Hollywood Reporter.

Friedkin became one of the top directors at the age of thirty, winning the Oscar for Best Director for the films "The French Connection" and the terrifying "The Exorcist," and struggled in the following decades to match his early success.

Despite this success, Friedkin continued directing films and television programs, but he never came close to replicating the success of those early works.

Other works included "To Live and Die in L.A.," "Cruising," "Rules of Engagement," and a new television version of the classic play and Sidney Lumet's film "12 Angry Men." Friedkin also directed episodes for television series such as "The Twilight Zone," "Rebel Highway," and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."