James Foley, 'Fifty Shades,' Madonna Music Video Director, Dies at 71

James Foley, a veteran film director remembered for his work on films including "Glengarry Glen Ross" and two "Fifty Shades of Grey" sequels, died this week at 71.

Deadline confirmed his death, following a yearlong battle with brain cancer, with his family.

Foley was born December 28, 1952, in Brooklyn.

His first film was "Reckless," a 1984 drama starring Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah, written by future Hollywood creative giant Chris Columbus.

Having struck up a personal friendship with Sean Penn and Madonna, whose concert video "Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour" he directed in 1985, he served as Penn's best man at the couple's wedding that same year.

He directed Penn in "At Close Range," a Berlin Film Festival nominee for the Golden Bear, and Madonna's moody, image-flipping music video for the film's no. 1-hit theme, "Live to Tell" (both 1986).

Foley worked extensively with Madonna for a spell, including helming one of her most iconic music videos, "Papa Don't Preach," about a teen who finds herself "in trouble — deep" and must figure out how to tell her father she is keeping her baby.

Following that 1986 video, he shot a clip for her song "True Blue" that was serviced outside the U.S. and directed the superstar in the feature "Who's That Girl" (1987). He shot the title music video for that film, as well as being credited as director of a montage music video for "The Look of Love" (all 1987).

In 1990, Foley directed Jason Patric in the highly regarded noir drama "After Dark, My Sweet." After directing an episode of the buzzed-about "Twin Peaks" in 1991, he directed the big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway play "Glengarry Glen Ross" (1992), starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Jonathan Pryce.

Other features included "Two Bits" (1995), "Fear" (1996), "The Chamber" (1996), "The Corruptor" (1999), "Confidence" (2003), and "Perfect Stranger" (2007).

He also shot music clips for Marky Mark and Deep Purple, as well as episodes of TV, including a dozen episodes of "House of Cards" (2013-2015).

Unlike most directors, Foley ended his career on top — he directed the "Fifty Shades of Grey" sequels "Fifty Shades Darker" (2017) and "Fifty Shades Freed," which raked in a combined $714M at the worldwide box office.

Foley was preceded in death by his brother. He is survived by another brother, two sisters, and his nephew.