Jonathan Kaplan, Emmy-Nominated Director of ‘ER,’ Dies at 77 originally appeared on Parade.
Jonathan Kaplan, director of TV shows such as ER and films including The Accused, has died, according to media reports including Variety. He was 77.
Kaplan died on Friday in Los Angeles, according to Variety. His daughter Molly said the cause of death was advanced liver cancer.
Kaplan was born in Paris to actress Frances Heflin and film composer Sol Kaplan. He moved to Los Angeles and then New York at a young age. He acted on stage as a child and later graduated from the University of Chicago, going on to study film under Martin Scorsese at New York University, according to Variety.
Kaplan’s first feature film was the sex comedy Night Call Nurses, produced by Roger Corman.
“Working with and for Roger Corman was great,” Kaplan had said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “All I had to do was deliver the nudity, the thrills, the kinkiness, and the comedy, that had become Roger’s trademark — and I did.”
Kaplan’s work with Corman led to more directing opportunities in the 1970s, including the feature films The Student Teachers, The Slam and Truck Turner.
Then in the ’80s, Kaplan directed a series of music videos before reviving his feature-film career with The Accused. Starring Jodie Foster in an Academy Award-winning role, the acclaimed drama is based on a true story of a waitress who is gang-raped by three men at a bar and goes on to testify against them.
On a similar note, Kaplan’s 1992 film Love Field earned Michelle Pfeiffer a Best Actress Oscar nomination for the 1960s-set project.
On top of his extensive work on NBC’s long-running series ER, Kaplan also directed episodes of other shows including Fallen Angels, Law & Order: SVU and Without a Trace.
In addition to his daughter Molly, survivors include Kaplan’s sister, actress Nora Heflin, and his nieces, Hannah and Eliza. Another sister of his, actress Mady Kaplan, died previously, according to THR.
Jonathan Kaplan, Emmy-Nominated Director of ‘ER,’ Dies at 77 first appeared on Parade on Aug 4, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
