James Foley Dies at 71: Cause of Death Revealed for House of Cards Director

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of an individual's death.

James Foley recently passed away at the age of 71. The highly acclaimed director was known for his exceptional work on House of Cards, Glengarry Glen Ross, At Close Range, Fear, and more. According to reports, Foley died at his home in Los Angeles earlier this week.

As per a report by Variety, James Foley passed away after a year-long battle with brain cancer, as confirmed by a representative of the filmmaker.

In case you didn’t know, James Foley collaborated with renowned actors like Sean Penn, Madonna, Al Pacino, Halle Berry, and more. He had a distinct flair for crafting atmosphere-rich, noir-adjacent narratives.

James Foley's directorial debut was Reckless (1984), a musical romance drama starring Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn. He followed it up with At Close Range, a neo-noir thriller featuring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken, which also included Madonna’s hit song Live to Tell.

At the time, Madonna and Sean Penn were married, and Foley went on to work with the pop icon on several projects, including music videos and her film Who’s That Girl.

ALSO READ: James Foley Death: Top 5 Iconic Movies by Renowned Director, Including Glengarry Glen Ross, Fifty Shades Series, and More

Speaking to FilmInk, James Foley reflected on his early career, saying, “It was a major life experience. That first failure is so shocking,” referring to the screwball comedy that flopped.

Among Foley’s most acclaimed works was Glengarry Glen Ross, an adaptation of David Mamet’s play. The film earned Al Pacino an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win for his performance.

In addition to Pacino, the star-studded cast included Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, and Alan Arkin.

Foley also directed the two sequels to Fifty Shades of Grey and helmed 12 episodes of the critically acclaimed series House of Cards.