'Silence of the Lambs' director Jonathan Demme dies at 73

Jonathan Demme has died at the age of 73.

The famed director, who directed such classics as "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Philadelphia," passed away on Wednesday morning from esophageal cancer and complications from heart disease, IndieWire exclusively reported on Wednesday.

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Demme's condition had reportedly deteriorated as of late. He had originally been treated for the disease in 2010, but it came back in 2015.

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The director made his film debut with 1971's "Angels Hard as They Come," but will be best remembered for the aforementioned Oscar-winning films "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Philadelphia." He also directed critically-acclaimed films "The Manchurian Candidate," "Rachel Getting Married" and "Melvin and Howard."

He was also a dedicated documentarian. In addition to his most recent documentary, "Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids," Demme directed "Kenny Chesney: Unstaged," "Neil Young Journeys," "Jimmy Carter Man from Plains" and "Storefront Hitchcock," among others.

In 2015, he directed Meryl Streep in "Ricki and the Flash."

The famously private director shared three children with wife Joanne Howard.

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