Ted Demme

Infobox Actor
name = Ted Demme
birthdate = birth date|1963|10|26
birthplace = New York City, New York
deathdate = death date and age|2002|1|13|1963|10|26
deathplace = Santa Monica, California
spouse = Amanda Scheer (1994-2002)
occupation = director, producer, actor
yearsactive = 1988 - 2002
emmyawards = Outstanding Made for Television Movie
1999 "A Lesson Before Dying"

Ted Demme (October 26, 1963 – January 13 2002), born in New York, New York, was an American film director and producer. He grew up in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York and attended South Side Senior High School. He was the nephew of movie producer and director Jonathan Demme. His career had modest beginnings — 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 Kevin Spacey, and "Blow" which featured Johnny Depp as George Jung (a high-profile drug dealer during the 1970s).

Over the course of his career, he established a group of actors that he chose to work with on more than one occasion. The most frequently used of these was Denis Leary, who he directed as a lead or star in "No Cure for Cancer", "The Ref", "", and "Monument Ave.". Leary also worked as producer on the film "Blow". Other actors he frequently used included:

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

On January 13, 2002, while 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 during an autopsy. After his death, his wife, Amanda Scheer Demme, opened “celebrity” bars in Hollywood, including "Teddy's" at the Roosevelt Hotel. Amanda has alternately claimed the bar is named after her late husband and President Theodore Roosevelt.

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

Rock musician Greg Dulli wrote The Twilight Singers' 2003 album Blackberry Belle in his memory.

elected filmography

* "Who's the Man?" (1993)
* "The Ref" (aka "Hostile Hostages") (1994)
* "Beautiful Girls" (1996)
* "Monument Ave." (1998)
* "Life" (1999)
* "Blow" (2001)

External links

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