Jonathan Kaplan facts for kids

Jonathan Kaplan (born November 25, 1947, died August 1, 2025) was a talented American film producer and director. He was known for creating many exciting movies and TV shows. One of his films, The Accused (1988), helped actress Jodie Foster win an Oscar for Best Actress. Another movie, Love Field (1992), led to an Oscar nomination for actress Michelle Pfeiffer. Jonathan Kaplan also received five Emmy nominations for his work on the popular TV series ER.

Early Life and Family

Jonathan Kaplan was born in Paris, France. His father, Sol Kaplan, was a film composer who wrote music for movies. His mother, Frances Heflin, was an actress. Jonathan also had an uncle, Van Heflin, who was a famous actor, and two sisters, Nora and Mady, who were also actresses. His family lived in Hollywood until 1954. At that time, his father faced difficulties in Hollywood and moved the family to New York.

Jonathan Kaplan's Career in Film

Starting as an Actor and Student

Jonathan Kaplan began his career as a child actor. He appeared in a Broadway play called The Dark at the Top of the Stairs. Later, he studied at the University of Chicago and then learned about filmmaking at New York University. There, he was taught by the famous director Martin Scorsese. Jonathan even made an award-winning short film called Stanley in 1965.

Directing Early Films

After college, Jonathan got a big chance to direct his first movie, Night Call Nurses (1972). This opportunity came from film producer Roger Corman, who heard about Jonathan from Martin Scorsese. The movie was successful, and Jonathan directed more films for Corman, like The Student Teachers (1973) and The Slams (1973).

He then directed Truck Turner (1974), which was also very popular. This success led him to direct White Line Fever (1975) for Columbia, a major Hollywood studio. This film was even more successful. However, his next movie, Mr. Billion (1977), did not do as well as expected. He then directed Over the Edge (1979), which critics liked, but it didn't attract a large audience.

Moving to TV and Music Videos

Jonathan found that he was mostly offered similar types of movies. So, he decided to direct television movies instead. He explained that he just wanted to keep directing. In the early 1980s, he directed several TV movies and many music videos. Some of these were for popular musicians like John Cougar Mellencamp and Rod Stewart (for his song "Infatuation" in 1984). He also directed the movie Heart Like a Wheel (1983), which was about drag racing, and the science fiction movie Project X (1987).

Major Successes and Later Work

Jonathan's career in feature films became very strong again in 1988. His film The Accused (1988) was a big hit and helped actress Jodie Foster win her first Oscar for Best Actress. After this, he directed other important films such as Immediate Family (1989) and Unlawful Entry (1992). His work on Love Field (1992) led to Michelle Pfeiffer being nominated for an Oscar in 1993. His last movie for theaters was Brokedown Palace (1999). From the 1990s onwards, Jonathan Kaplan mainly worked as a director for television shows.

Personal Life and Passing

Jonathan Kaplan had a daughter named Molly. He passed away from liver cancer at his home in Los Angeles on August 1, 2025. He was 77 years old.

Films and TV Shows Directed by Jonathan Kaplan

Movies

• Night Call Nurses (1972)
• The Student Teachers (1973)
• The Slams (1973)
• Truck Turner (1974)
• White Line Fever (1975)
• Mr. Billion (1977)
• Over the Edge (1979)
• Heart Like a Wheel (1983)
• Project X (1987)
• The Accused (1988)
• Immediate Family (1989)
• Unlawful Entry (1992)
• Love Field (1992)
• Bad Girls (1994)
• Brokedown Palace (1999)

TV Movies

• 11th Victim (1979)
• The Gentleman Bandit (1981)
• Girls of the White Orchid (1983)
• Rebel Highway: Reform School Girl (1994)

TV Series

• Fallen Angels (1993)
• Picture Windows (1995)
• In Cold Blood (1996)
• ER (1997)
• Crossing Jordan (2005)
• Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (2005–2012)
• Without a Trace (2006–2009)
• Brothers and Sisters (2010)

See also

In Spanish: Jonathan Kaplan para niños