Beauty and the Beast captured the imagination of TV fans in the 1980s. Now, multiple outlets are reporting that the show's creator, Ron Koslow, has passed away.
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The veteran TV writer and producer died on Oct. 7, with outlets like Deadline first reporting the sad news this week. No cause of death was provided. However, his online obituary states that Koslow "died peacefully at his beloved Brentwood home."
UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Loyola Law School alumni had a prolific TV and film career that spanned decades. Per IMDb, Koslow first breakthrough was writing the screenplay for 1976's Lifeguard, which starred Sam Elliot. Other screenplays followed, such as 1984's Firstborn, headlined by Peter Weller; and 1985's Into the Night, starring Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Ron Koslow Creates His Signature TV Series
However, Koslow's signature work came with Beauty and the Beast in 1987. Inspired by the beloved fairy tale and Jean Cocteau's 1946 film La Belle et la Bête, the fantasy series starred Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. Under cutting-edge creature makeup, Perlman embodied the titular beast, named Vincent, who lurks in tunnels below New York City and protects Hamiltion 's Assistant DA Catherine Chandler (the beauty of the title).
Game of Thrones mastermind George R.R. Martin wrote 11 episodes of the series, which ran for 3 years. Beauty and the Beast went on to earn six Primetime Emmys.
In 2012, Beauty and the Beast was rebooted by the CW. The series starred Kristin Kreuk as Catherine and Jay Ryan as Vincent. The series lasted for 4 seasons.
His other credits include writing screenplays for the 1996 film Last Dance starring Sharon Stone and the 1997 TV series Roar starring Heath Ledger. He also created the 1991 TV series My Life and Times, which featured Megan Mullally and Helen Hunt.
Koslow "was known for his imagination and his ability to tell stories rooted in the deepest parts of the human experience," his family wrote in his obituary. "His work explored the transformative power of love, the complexities of human connection, and the extraordinary possibilities of worlds beyond our own."
Koslow leaves behind sister, Judy; brother-in-law, Stefan; nieces, Jenna and Lily.
Ron Koslow was 81.
