Film and television director Peter Medak dies at age 88

Filmmaker Peter Medak died peacefully in Los Angeles on Tuesday at the age of 88, according to statement from his family reported by the Guardian, The Wrap, and the AV Club. The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline all reported that the director passed away on Tuesday, October 27. Medak was a Hungarian-born director who maintained a career spanning six decades across film and television. [1][2][4][5][6][7]

During his career, Medak directed 27 feature films, according to Variety. His notable feature credits included the 1972 release A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, the 1972 Peter O'Toole comedy The Ruling Class, the 1980 supernatural horror film The Changeling starring George C. Scott, and the 1990 true-crime thriller The Krays featuring Martin and Gary Kemp, as reported by the Guardian, Variety, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline. [1][2][4][5][7]

Born in Budapest, Medak fled Hungary at age 18 during the 1956 uprising against the communist regime, arriving in England to enter the film industry as an assistant editor and cameraman with Associated British Picture Corporation in Borehamwood. The Wrap noted his early training in the British film industry included work as a sound editor, film editor, and assistant director. [4][14]

Medak later moved into television production, directing episodes of prominent series such as Breaking Bad, The Wire, Hannibal, and Homicide: Life on the Street, according to the Guardian, The Wrap, and The Hollywood Reporter. [1][4][5]