Ron Koslow, the Emmy-nominated screenwriter and producer who created the CBS fantasy series Beauty and the Beast and also served as a co-creator of its 2012 reboot on The CW, passed away on October 7 at age 81. The news was confirmed by his family to several media outlets.
Koslow built his career as a television and film writer and producer over four decades. He was particularly recognized for supernatural and fantasy projects such as Beauty and the Beast, Moonlight, and Roar. He also created the Fox series My Life and Times, starring Megan Mullally and Helen Hunt.
The legacy of Beauty and the Beast
In 1987, Koslow created Beauty and the Beast, starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. The series was inspired in part by the classic fairy tale and also by Jean Cocteau's 1946 film La Belle et la Bête. The plot followed Assistant District Attorney Catherine Chandler (Hamilton) and her protector, a noble man-beast named Vincent (Perlman) who lived in a secret community beneath the tunnels of New York City.
The series became a cult phenomenon and ran for three seasons. It won six Primetime Emmy Awards and served as a launching pad for the careers of Alex Gansa, showrunner of Homeland; Howard Gordon, showrunner of 24; and a then-young fantasy writer named George R.R. Martin, who wrote 11 episodes of the series long before creating the phenomenon that would become Game of Thrones.
The CW reboot and other projects
In 2012, Koslow co-wrote the Beauty and the Beast reboot for The CW, starring Kristin Kreuk as Catherine, reimagined here as a detective, and Jay Ryan as Vincent, now a former soldier transformed into a man-beast by a secret government organization. This version ran for four seasons.
Koslow's screen career began in 1976 as a writer for the film Lifeguard, considered a precursor to Baywatch in the seventies, starring Sam Elliott and Anne Archer. He subsequently wrote and/or produced Lady of the House, with Dyan Cannon; Swan Song, with David Soul; First Born, starring Teri Garr and Peter Weller and directed by Michael Apted; Into the Night, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Goldblum and directed by John Landis; Last Dance, with Sharon Stone and directed by Bruce Beresford; and Roar, starring Heath Ledger.
Frequently asked questions about Ron Koslow
Who was Ron Koslow?
Ron Koslow was a television and film screenwriter and producer with a four-decade career, best known for creating the series Beauty and the Beast in 1987 and for participating in its 2012 reboot on The CW.
When and at what age did Ron Koslow die?
According to multiple media reports citing his family, Koslow passed away on October 7 at the age of 81.
What other series and films did Ron Koslow create?
In addition to Beauty and the Beast, Koslow created series such as Moonlight, Roar, and My Life and Times, and worked on films such as Lifeguard, Lady of the House, Swan Song, First Born, Into the Night, and Last Dance.
Who starred in the original 1987 Beauty and the Beast?
The original series starred Linda Hamilton in the role of Catherine Chandler and Ron Perlman as Vincent.
Who starred in The CW’s Beauty and the Beast reboot?
The 2012 reboot, for which Koslow was a co-creator, starred Kristin Kreuk as Catherine and Jay Ryan as Vincent.
