Peter Medak, the Hungarian-born director best known for The Changeling, The Krays and The Ruling Class, died on Tuesday, 27 October, in Los Angeles, Variety reported. He was 88.
Across a career of six decades, Medak directed 27 feature films, moving between psychological horror, black comedy and crime drama. He also worked extensively in television, directing episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street, The Wire, Breaking Bad and House.
From Budapest to Hollywood
Medak was born in Budapest in 1937 and spent part of World War II in hiding with his family. Under Hungary's Communist regime his father was imprisoned and he was barred from attending school. He fled to England during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, found work in the British film industry and rose to assistant director before moving to Hollywood.
Career milestones
| Year | Film or milestone |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Feature debut, Negatives, starring Glenda Jackson |
| 1972 | The Ruling Class, starring Peter O'Toole, competes for the Palme d'Or at Cannes; O'Toole earns an Oscar nomination |
| 1980 | Supernatural thriller The Changeling, starring George C. Scott, wins eight Genie Awards including best motion picture |
| 1990 | British gangster drama The Krays earns him the Evening Standard Award for best director |
| 2018 | Documentary The Ghost of Peter Sellers revisits his troubled production of the 1970s comedy Ghost in the Noonday Sun |
His other credits include A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Let Him Have It and Romeo Is Bleeding, which starred Gary Oldman. The three films Variety put at the top of his obituary show his range: a supernatural thriller, a gangster drama and a satire.
Family
Medak is survived by his four children and five grandchildren, according to Variety. The obituary did not mention a cause of death or any plans for a funeral or memorial.