Peter Medak: key obituary facts
Is Peter Medak dead? Yes. Peter Medak died on October 27, 2026, at age 88.
Cause of death: Peter Medak's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Peter Medak known for?
He was a Hungarian-born British director.
More about Peter Medak
Born: 23 December 1937.
Place of birth: Budapest.
Place of death: Los Angeles.
Gender: male.
Occupation: film director, television director, film producer, director.
Nationality: Hungary.
Spouse: Carolyn Seymour, Julia Migenes.
Career began: 1968.
Also known as: Péter Medák.
Years active: 1968–present.
Peter Medak, Hungarian-born British film and television director, died in Los Angeles on October 27, 2026, aged 88.
Born Péter Medák in Budapest on December 23, 1937, he was the son of Elisabeth (née Diamounstein) and Gyula Medak, a textile manufacturer. The family was Jewish.
In 1956, during the Hungarian Uprising, Medak fled Hungary for the United Kingdom. He entered the British film industry as a trainee and advanced to directing, building a career in film and television. MCA Universal Pictures signed him in 1963 to direct television films. Four years later, Paramount Pictures signed him to make feature films, and Negatives, released in 1968, was his first feature. His directing credits included The Ruling Class, The Changeling and Romeo Is Bleeding. In 2018, he directed and appeared in The Ghost of Peter Sellers, taking credits as both director and actor. His career began with television assignments before moving into feature filmmaking, a transition marked by the Paramount agreement and the release of Negatives. Medak was also a film producer. His spouses included Carolyn Seymour and Julia Migenes.