Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins pay tribute to Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme

Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins have both paid tribute to Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme, who died this week.

The A-list stars, who made their name in Demme’s 1991 Oscar-winning film, praised the filmmaker for his ‘passion’ and ‘energy’.

Foster, 54, told fans that she was ‘heartbroken’ by the news that Demme had died on Wednesday morning, following a battle with cancer.

“I am heart-broken to lose a friend, a mentor, a guy so singular and dynamic you’d have to design a hurricane to contain him,” she said in a statement.

“Jonathan was as quirky as his comedies and as deep as his dramas. He was pure energy, the unstoppable cheerleader for anyone creative.

“Just as passionate about music as he was about art, he was and will always be a champion of the soul. JD, most beloved, something wild, brother of love, director of the lambs. Love that guy. Love him so much.”

The actress picked up the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Demme’s film, praising the director during her acceptance speech.

Hopkins, 79, also paid tribute to Demme on Twitter, posting a photo of the trio and writing: “RIP my friend. #JonathanDemme.”

The award-winning director died in New York on Wednesday morning after battling esophageal cancer and suffering complications from heart disease.

He was originally treated for the disease back in 2010 but it returned in 2015, a family source told IndieWire.

As well as Silence of the Lambs, Demme was also known for Philadelphia and Rachel Getting Married.