Julian Fowles, Longtime Film and Television Producer, Dies at 76

Julian Fowles, a film and television producer who worked at KCET and Esparza/Katz Productions, died in a hospital in Miami, Flor. on Saturday while recovering from a stroke. He was 76 years old.

Fowles’ death was confirmed to Variety by his colleague William Immerman.

Before operating in entertainment, Fowles graduated from Harvard Law School and worked as an attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. His legal career led him to California, where he began to work as a contract attorney in the legal departments of Universal, Columbia and 20th Century Fox.

Fowles eventually began to pursue his dream of producing, joining the local Los Angeles public broadcasting station KCET as an executive producer of local programming. His credits include “Eleanor: In Her Own Words,” a one-woman show starring Lee Remick as Eleanor Roosevelt. “Eleanor” was the first local production to be picked up by PBS for the network’s “American Playhouse” series. The production also earned Fowles a Los Angeles Area Emmy award.

Additionally, Fowles earned a Primetime Emmy for outstanding children’s program for his work producing “Mark Twain and Me” at KCET.  Fowles also co-wrote and co-produced “The Light Stuff” alongside Martin Kent, which became the highest-rated production in the station’s history and netted Fowles an Emmy. While working at KCET, Fowles used his position to seek out programming with representation for Latino, Black and Asian communities.

Fowles would later leave KCET to join Esparza/Katz Productions as head of its TV division. While there, he produced and executive produced several films, including “Selma, Lord, Selma,” “The Sweetest Gift” and “Captive.” He was also a long-serving officer and trustee of the Hollywood Arts Council.

Fowles is survived by his wife, Gallena. A memorial will be announced at a later date.

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