VIDEO : Jonathan Demme, The Director Of 'The Silence Of The Lambs,' Has Died Aged 73

Jonathan Demme, the Oscar-winning director behind The Silence of the Lambs, widely regarded as one of the best horror-thriller films ever made, has died. He was 73. Demme died early Wednesday morning in his Manhattan apartment surrounded by his family. The cause of death was complications from esophageal cancer. Before The Silence of the Lambs, Demme was most noted for having directed a number of 80s comedies. He followed up his horror-thriller with fare of similar seriousness: most notably, Philadelphia (1993) and Beloved (1998), based on the Toni Morrison novel and starring Oprah Winfrey. His 2008 film Rachel Getting Married earned Anne Hathaway her first Oscar nomination for her role as a drug addict returning home for her sister's wedding. In 2011, the US Library of Congress added The Silence of the Lambs to its National Film Registry, declaring the movie "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant. Demme also helmed a number of documentaries during his career, including films about musicians Neil Young and Justin Timberlake.