By Fatma Younis
Peter Medak, the Hungarian-born director known for his work on acclaimed US dramas Breaking Bad and The Wire, has died at the age of 88. The filmmaker died in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 27, his family announced on Wednesday.
Television Career
Medak directed episodes of several landmark series, including the Breaking Bad season two episode "Peekaboo" and the third-season The Wire episode "Back Burners." His television credits also encompassed Homicide: Life on the Street, House, Carnivàle, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, The Sopranos, and Hannibal.
Film Legacy
Across six decades, Medak directed 27 feature films. Notable titles include the supernatural horror The Changeling, the British gangster drama The Krays, and the satirical comedy The Ruling Class, which competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes and earned Peter O'Toole an Academy Award nomination. The Changeling won eight Genie Awards, including best motion picture.
Early Life and Move to Hollywood
Medak fled Hungary during the 1956 uprising against Communist rule, spending part of World War II in hiding in Budapest. After arriving in England, he entered the film industry as a trainee and worked his way up to assistant director before moving to Hollywood. His feature directorial debut, Negatives starring Glenda Jackson, came in 1968.
Tributes and Survivors
Actor Malcolm McDowell, who worked with Medak on the 1970 film Figures in a Landscape, paid tribute on Instagram, calling him "one of my oldest and dearest friends." Medak is survived by his four children — Christopher, Joshua, Karen, and Cornelia — and five grandchildren.
