William Friedkin is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. William Friedkin is best known for directing The French Connection in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director. His film, Bug (2006) won the Fipresci prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

William Friedkin has been married four times, to Kelly Lange, Lesley-Anne Down, and a short marriage to French actress Jeanne Moreau. He has a daughter with Kelly Lange and two sons: Jack (with actress Lesley-Anne Down) and Cedric.

William is currently married to former film executive Sherry Lansing. Justin Green, in the 2009 edition of his 1972 graphic novel Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary, says Friedkin is his first cousin.