Peter Medak, the Hungarian-born director and actor best known for ‘The Changeling’, ‘The Krays’ and ‘The Ruling Class’, has died at the age of 88. He passed away on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
A career spanning six decades
According to the Variety report, Peter Medak directed 27 feature films over a career of six decades. He moved comfortably between psychological horror, black comedy and crime dramas.
Peter Medak’s best-known films
His 1980 supernatural thriller ‘The Changeling’, starring George C. Scott, won eight Genie Awards, including best motion picture. He also directed the 1990 British gangster drama ‘The Krays’, which earned him the Evening Standard Award for best director.Peter Medak made his feature directorial debut with ‘Negatives’ in 1968, starring Glenda Jackson. His 1972 satire ‘The Ruling Class’, led by Peter O’Toole, competed for the Palme d’Or at Cannes and brought an Oscar nomination for O’Toole.His other credits include ‘A Day in the Death of Joe Egg’, ‘Let Him Have It’ and the Gary Oldman-starrer ‘Romeo Is Bleeding’.
Work in television and documentary
Peter Medak also worked widely in television. He directed episodes of ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’, ‘The Wire’, ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘House’.In 2018, he made the documentary ‘The Ghost of Peter Sellers’, which looked back at the troubled production of his 1970s comedy ‘Ghost in the Noonday Sun’.
Peter Medak’s family
Peter Medak is survived by his four children, Christopher, Joshua, Karen and Cornela, and five grandchildren.