'Silence Of The Lambs' Director Jonathan Demme Dies In New York At 73

MANHATTAN, NY — Jonathan Demme, the award-winning director of cinematic classics like "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Philadelphia," died on Wednesday morning in his Manhattan apartment. He was 73.

Demme's publicist confirmed his death to multiple media outlets. Demme told the world he was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, according to the New York Times.

"Jonathan passed away early this morning in his Manhattan apartment, surrounded by his wife, Joanne Howard, and three children," his publicist said in a statement. "He died from complications from esophageal cancer."

Demme was born on Long Island on Feb. 22, 1944. He started his career as a movie reviewer before he switched to the other side of the aisle and worked as a publicist for Embassy Pictures and United Artists.

"The thought that I might be involved in actually making movies was the furthest thing from my mind," Demme told the New York Times in 1988. '"Being a publicist was all I wanted. I was having a ball."

His first film was "Angels Hard As They Come," released in 1971. Demme directed a string of well-regarded films throughout his career, the most famous being the 1991 thriller film "The Silence of the Lambs," for which Demme won an Oscar for best director. Among the dozens of other notable titles he directed are "Beloved" and "The Manchurian Candidate."

He is survived by his wife, Joanne Howard, and three children.

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Lead image by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival.