Peter Medak, Director of ‘The Ruling Class’ and ‘The Changeling,’ Dies at 88
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Newly added details expand the picture of Peter Medak’s career, from his early work in British film to a long run directing television, alongside the better-known films The Ruling Class and The Changeling. The Hungarian-born director died in Los Angeles on Tuesday, aged 88, his family announced.
Medak fled Budapest for England in 1956 and began in film as an editor, cameraman and assistant director before moving into directing. Peter O’Toole earned his fifth best actor Oscar nomination for The Ruling Class, while The Changeling, starring George C. Scott, was admired by filmmakers including Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Medak also directed The Krays, Romeo Is Bleeding and the troubled Ghost in the Noonday Sun, which he later revisited in a documentary, and worked on series including The Wire and Breaking Bad.
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In short
- Peter Medak has died in Los Angeles aged 88.
- His films included The Ruling Class and The Changeling.
- He also directed many television dramas.
How this story developed
- 3 minutes ago Peter Medak, the Hungarian-born director of The Ruling Class and The Changeling, has died in Los Angeles aged 88, his family announced. His death was reported as having occurred on Tuesday.
- 7 minutes ago Newly added details expand the picture of Peter Medak’s career, from his early work in British film to a long run directing television, alongside the better-known films The Ruling Class and The Changeling.
- 1 hour ago Peter Medak, the Hungarian-born director of The Ruling Class and The Changeling, has died in Los Angeles aged 88, his family announced. His career spanned acclaimed films and television, and his work helped shape influential British and American cinema.
Full account
Peter Medak, the Hungarian-born director whose work ranged from British black comedy to supernatural horror and American television, has died in Los Angeles at 88. His family announced his death on Tuesday, 27 October, saying he died peacefully; no cause was given.
Born in Budapest in 1937, Medak left Hungary for England in 1956. He began in the British film industry as a trainee and assistant director before moving into directing. His first feature was Negatives (1968), with Glenda Jackson. He went on to make A Day in the Death of Joe Egg and The Ruling Class, both released in 1972. In the latter, Peter O’Toole played an aristocrat who believes himself to be Jesus Christ and later Jack the Ripper; the role brought O’Toole an Academy Award nomination.
Medak’s best-known films also included The Changeling (1980), in which George C. Scott plays a bereaved composer drawn into a mystery at his new home, and the crime drama Romeo Is Bleeding (1993), starring Gary Oldman. He directed The Krays (1990), featuring Gary and Martin Kemp as the notorious gangland brothers, and Let Him Have It (1991), about a disputed execution. His work extended beyond features: he directed episodes of series including Homicide: Life on the Street, The Wire and Breaking Bad, as well as music videos and opera productions.
His career included a notorious setback as well as acclaimed work. Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1974), a pirate comedy starring Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan, proved a troubled production that Medak later described as a personal nightmare. He returned to the episode in the 2018 documentary The Ghost of Peter Sellers. That same year, he spoke of the admiration for The Changeling shown by directors including Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese; Spielberg reportedly screened it for the crew of Poltergeist as a reference for the film’s atmosphere.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The accounts agree on Medak’s age, death in Los Angeles and family announcement. One says he died peacefully and specifies 27 October; the other reports Tuesday without a cause of death.
The first report foregrounds individual films and anecdotes, including O’Toole’s Oscar nomination, The Changeling’s influence on Poltergeist and the troubled making of Ghost in the Noonday Sun. The second gives more biographical detail about Medak’s childhood in Hungary and his move to England, and describes him as an actors’ director.
The second account supplies career totals of 27 feature films and 59 television episodes, and includes his music-video and opera work. Those details are not given in the first report. Both mention The Ghost of Peter Sellers, while the second additionally says it won a documentary award at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.
Explained simply
Peter Medak was a Hungarian-born film and television director. He left Hungary for England during the 1956 uprising, a revolt against Soviet-backed rule, and later worked in both British and American screen industries.
His films included The Ruling Class, a satire starring Peter O’Toole, and The Changeling, a supernatural mystery starring George C. Scott. He also directed The Krays, about the notorious London gangsters, and episodes of many television series.
Medak’s career ranged from well-regarded films to productions that faced difficulties, including the pirate comedy Ghost in the Noonday Sun. The Changeling has remained influential among filmmakers, helping keep his work in discussion beyond its original release.