Ted Demme

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Ted Demme (October 26, 1963 – January 13 2002), born in New York, New York, was an American film director and producer. He was the nephew of movie producer and director Jonathan Demme. His career had modest beginnings which later turned to be fortuitous. Starting as a production assistant at MTV, he later created the cable network's seminal hip-hop show Yo! MTV Raps and directed other projects for them, including the infamous black-and-white rants starring then-unknown chain-smoking comedian Denis Leary. His best known films were The Ref, starring Leary and a then unknown Kevin Spacey, and Blow which featured Johnny Depp as a high profile drug dealer during the 1970's.

Over the course of his career he established somewhat of a repertoire of actors that he chose to work with on more than one occasion. Most often among them being Denis Leary, who he directed as a lead or star in No Cure for Cancer, The Ref, Denis Leary: Lock 'N Load, and Monument Ave. As well as with leary as a producer on the film Blow. Other actors he frequently used included -

Noah Emmerich in Beautiful Girls, Monument Ave., and (a cut scene in) Blow,
Max Perlich in Beautiful Girls and Blow, and
Adam LeFevre in The Ref and Beautiful Girls.

Whilst playing a game of basketball, Demme collapsed and died of a heart attack which may have been related to cocaine later found in his system. His wife, Amanda Sheer Demme, capitalized on her loss by opening “celebrity” bars in Hollywood. Accusations of racism and staff abuse quickly followed. She has been arrested and is in the process of losing her businesses.

Friend Kevin Spacey tipped a glass to his late friend at the 59th Golden Globe Awards January 20th, 2002 to a full house of film and television professionals, in tribute to Demme.

Selected filmography: