Peter Medak, Director of 'The Changeling' and 'The Krays,' Dies at 88

Peter Medak, the Hungarian-born director and actor behind films such as "The Changeling," "The Krays" and "The Ruling Class," has died in Los Angeles. He was 88. He died on Tuesday.

Across a career that lasted six decades, Medak made 27 feature films. He moved comfortably between psychological horror, black comedy and crime drama, building a body of work that resisted easy categorization.

His 1980 supernatural thriller "The Changeling," starring George C. Scott, won eight Genie Awards, including best motion picture. In 1990 he directed the British gangster drama "The Krays," which earned him the Evening Standard Award for best director.

Medak was born in Budapest in 1937. He spent part of World War II in hiding with his family. Later, under Hungary's Communist regime, his father was imprisoned and Medak was barred from attending school. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 he fled to England.

In Britain he began working in the film industry and eventually became an assistant director, before relocating to Hollywood. His first feature as director was "Negatives" in 1968, which starred Glenda Jackson.

His 1972 satire "The Ruling Class" starred Peter O'Toole, competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes and brought an Oscar nomination for O'Toole. Among his other credits are "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg," "Let Him Have It" and "Romeo Is Bleeding," which was led by Gary Oldman.

Medak was also a prolific television director. He directed episodes of "Homicide: Life on the Street," "The Wire," "Breaking Bad" and "House."

In 2018 he released the documentary "The Ghost of Peter Sellers," which looked back at his troubled production of the 1970s comedy "Ghost in the Noonday Sun."

Medak is survived by his four children, Christopher, Joshua, Karen and Cornela, and by five grandchildren.