James Foley began his career in the mid-1980s, making his directorial debut with Reckless in 1984. The film starred Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah and marked the beginning of Foley’s journey as a filmmaker with a strong visual style. Two years later, he stepped into the music world, directing several music videos for Madonna, including her hits Papa Don’t Preach, Live to Tell and True Blue. These videos became iconic in pop culture and showed Foley’s ability to move easily between film and music.
His big break came with the 1992 drama Glengarry Glen Ross, based on David Mamet’s famous stage play. The film featured a powerful cast including Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon and Alec Baldwin, and remains one of the most respected films of the 1990s. Foley’s direction was praised for letting the actors’ performances shine while keeping the tension high.
Over the years, he continued to work across genres. He directed thrillers like Fear starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon, the action-packed The Corruptor with Chow Yun-fat and Mark Wahlberg, and the crime drama Confidence with Edward Burns, Dustin Hoffman and Rachel Weisz. Foley also directed the psychological thriller Perfect Stranger, starring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis.
Return to the spotlight with ‘Fifty Shades’
After a short break from major films, James Foley returned to the big screen in a big way by directing the last two instalments of the Fifty Shades series – Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018). Both films were international box office hits and brought his name back into the spotlight. Foley also left his mark on the small screen, directing episodes of several popular TV shows. He directed 12 episodes of the political drama House of Cards.
He is survived by his brother Kevin, sisters Ellen and Jo Ann, and nephew Quinn. His brother Gerard passed away before him. Foley’s legacy will live on through his wide range of films, music videos, and TV work.
