James Foley (director)

{{Infobox person

|name = James Foley

|image =

|caption =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|12|28}}

|birth_place = Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

|occupation = Film director

|years_active = 1984–present

}}

James Foley (born December 28, 1953) is an American film director. His 1986 film At Close Range was entered into the 36th Berlin International Film Festival.{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1986/02_programm_1986/02_Programm_1986.html |title=Berlinale: 1986 Programme |access-date=2011-01-14 |work=berlinale.de}} Other films he has directed include Glengarry Glen Ross, based on the play of the same name by David Mamet, and The Chamber, based on the novel of the same name by author John Grisham. He also directed the two sequels to Fifty Shades of Grey: Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018).

Early life

Foley was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in Staten Island, NY, the son of a lawyer.[http://www.filmreference.com/film/85/James-Foley.html James Foley Biography (1953-)] He graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a flagship school of the SUNY system, in 1978. He continued his education earning an M.F.A in film study and production from the University of Southern California. During his final year there, acclaimed director Hal Ashby noticed his student film when it was projected on the wall during a film-school projection party and urged him to write something for Ashby's newly formed production company. Unfortunately the company went broke before Foley finished writing, but the stamp of approval was enough to get his career started with his first directing gig on the low budget 1984 teen drama Reckless. In his own assessment Foley says “Because Hal Ashby had hired me, I became viable in that weird calculus of Hollywood just because someone else who was respected thought that I was viable”.{{cite web |last1=Free |first1=Erin |title=Unsung Auteurs: James Foley |url=https://www.filmink.com.au/unsung-auteurs-james-foley/ |website=FilmInk.com.au |date=9 February 2022 |publisher=FilmInk Magazine |access-date=23 August 2023 |archive-url=}}

Career

In 1984, Foley made his directorial debut with Reckless, which starred Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/03/movies/the-screen-reckless.html|title=The Screen - Reckless|work=The New York Times|first=Janet|last=Maslin|author-link=Janet Maslin|date=February 3, 1984}} He directed Glengarry Glen Ross in 1992.{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/07/best-movies-netflix-streaming-right-now/glengarry-glen-ross|title=Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) - The 100 Best Movies Streaming on Netflix Right Now|work=Complex|first=Ross|last=Scarano|date=July 3, 2014|access-date=July 19, 2014|archive-date=July 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721211005/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/07/best-movies-netflix-streaming-right-now/glengarry-glen-ross|url-status=dead}} The Corruptor, his action film starring Chow Yun-Fat and Mark Wahlberg, was released in 1999.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/the-corruptor-1200457016/|title=Review: 'The Corruptor'|work=Variety|first=Emanuel|last=Levy|author-link=Emanuel Levy|date=March 11, 1999}} His 2003 film, Confidence, starred Edward Burns.{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/confidence/|title=Confidence (2003)|work=PopMatters|first=Cynthia|last=Fuchs|date=April 24, 2003}} He directed Perfect Stranger, a thriller film starring Halle Berry, in 2007.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/apr/13/thriller|title=Perfect Stranger|work=The Guardian|first=Peter|last=Bradshaw|author-link=Peter Bradshaw|date=April 13, 2007}} He has also directed for television, including 12 episodes of the Netflix series House of Cards.{{cite web|website=IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001226/?ref_=pro_nm_visitcons|title=James Foley|accessdate=June 1, 2023}} He often collaborates with cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía, having made 5 films with him, as well as Madonna's "Live to Tell" music video.

Filmography

Film

Reckless (1984)
At Close Range (1986)
Who's That Girl (1987)
After Dark, My Sweet (1990) (Also writer)
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Two Bits (1995)
The Chamber (1996)
Fear (1996)
The Corruptor (1999)
Confidence (2003)
Perfect Stranger (2007)
Fifty Shades Darker (2017)
Fifty Shades Freed (2018)

Television

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Notes
1991 \| Twin Peaks \| Episode "Wounds and Scars"
1997 \| Gun \| Episode "The Shot"
2004 \| Hollywood Division \| TV movie
2013 \| Hannibal \| Episode "Sorbet"
2013–2015 \| House of Cards \| 12 episodes
2014 \| Red Zone \| TV movie
2015 \| Wayward Pines \| Episode "The Truth"
2016 \| Billions \| Episodes "Short Squeeze" and "The Deal"

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Notes

1991

| Twin Peaks

| Episode "Wounds and Scars"

1997

| Gun

| Episode "The Shot"

2004

| Hollywood Division

| TV movie

2013

| Hannibal

| Episode "Sorbet"

2013–2015

| House of Cards

| 12 episodes

2014

| Red Zone

| TV movie

2015

| Wayward Pines

| Episode "The Truth"

2016

| Billions

| Episodes "Short Squeeze" and "The Deal"

Music videos

Besides the film Who's That Girl (1987), Foley directed the following music videos for Madonna (under the pseudonym "Peter Percher"):

"Live to Tell" (1986)
"Papa Don't Preach" (1986)
"True Blue" (1986)

Foley was also the best man at Madonna's wedding to Sean Penn, although as of 2025 they are not on speaking terms. {{Cite web |title=AFI{{!}}Catalog |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/57884 |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=catalog.afi.com |language=en}}

Awards and nominations

;Berlin Film Festival

class="wikitable"
scope="col" style="width:1em;"\| Year ! scope="col" style="width:39em;"\| Nominated work ! scope="col" style="width:33em;"\| Category ! scope="col" style="width:5em;"\| Result
1986 \| At Close Range \| Golden Bear Award \| {{nom}}

class="wikitable"

scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year

! scope="col" style="width:39em;"| Nominated work

! scope="col" style="width:33em;"| Category

! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Result

1986

| At Close Range

| Golden Bear Award

| {{nom}}

;Deauville American Film Festival

class="wikitable"
scope="col" style="width:1em;"\| Year ! scope="col" style="width:39em;"\| Nominated work ! scope="col" style="width:33em;"\| Category ! scope="col" style="width:5em;"\| Result
1992 \| Glengarry Glen Ross \| Critics Award \| {{nom}}

class="wikitable"

scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year

! scope="col" style="width:39em;"| Nominated work

! scope="col" style="width:33em;"| Category

! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Result

1992

| Glengarry Glen Ross

| Critics Award

| {{nom}}

;Golden Raspberry Awards

class="wikitable"
scope="col" style="width:1em;"\| Year ! scope="col" style="width:39em;"\| Nominated work ! scope="col" style="width:33em;"\| Category ! scope="col" style="width:5em;"\| Result
1988 \| Who's That Girl \| rowspan="3"\| Worst Director \| {{nom}}
2018 \| Fifty Shades Darker \| {{nom}}
2019 \| Fifty Shades Freed \| {{nom}}

class="wikitable"

scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year

! scope="col" style="width:39em;"| Nominated work

! scope="col" style="width:33em;"| Category

! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Result

1988

| Who's That Girl

| rowspan="3"| Worst Director

| {{nom}}

2018

| Fifty Shades Darker

| {{nom}}

2019

| Fifty Shades Freed

| {{nom}}

;Phoenix Film Festival

class="wikitable"
scope="col" style="width:1em;"\| Year ! scope="col" style="width:39em;"\| Nominated work ! scope="col" style="width:33em;"\| Category ! scope="col" style="width:5em;"\| Result
2003 \| Career as director and screenwriter \| Copper Wing Tribute \| {{won}}

class="wikitable"

scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year

! scope="col" style="width:39em;"| Nominated work

! scope="col" style="width:33em;"| Category

! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Result

2003

| Career as director and screenwriter

| Copper Wing Tribute

| {{won}}

;Venice Film Festival

class="wikitable"
scope="col" style="width:1em;"\| Year ! scope="col" style="width:39em;"\| Nominated work ! scope="col" style="width:33em;"\| Category ! scope="col" style="width:5em;"\| Result
1992 \| Glengarry Glen Ross \| Golden Lion \| {{nom}}

class="wikitable"

scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year

! scope="col" style="width:39em;"| Nominated work

! scope="col" style="width:33em;"| Category

! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Result

1992

| Glengarry Glen Ross

| Golden Lion

| {{nom}}