Ted Demme

Born: 26 October 1963
Where: New York

Ted Demme, nephew of Jonathan (director of The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia), died this year of heart failure before he reached the age of forty. He left behind him a wife, kids and a heartbroken industry who has gained much from his contribution to the world of film.

Starting professional life as a production assistant, Ted quickly moved up to direct and produce at MTV.

His big break came in 1988 when he created the successful hip-hop pilot which became the smash weekly half-hour show Yo! MTV Raps.

Together with MTV co-worker Joel Stillerman, Ted formed Spanky Pictures.

His directorial debut came in 1992 with The Bet, a film short which he followed up with Who's the Man?, his first feature.

The following year Ted co-directed (with his uncle Jonathan) Bruce Springstein's Streets of Philadelphia video, which he followed up with the black comedy The Ref.

Other films in his repertoire are the crime drama Monument Ave, Tumbleweeds, Life and most recently directed Blow, the story of George Jung, played by Johnny Depp, who introduces North America to the cocaine market in the 70's.