Ted Demme

• Name — Ted Demme • Birth Name — Edward Kern Demme • Born — 26 October 1963 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Died — 13 January 2002 • Place of death — Santa Monica, California, U.S. • Occupation — Film director, film producer, actor • Years Active — 1988–2002 • Children — 2 • Relatives — Jonathan Demme (uncle)

Demme was born in New York City, the son of Gail (née Kern) and Frederick Rogers Demme. He grew up in Rockville Centre, New York on Long Island and attended South Side Senior High School. He graduated from SUNY-Cortland in 1985. He was the nephew of film producer and director Jonathan Demme.

Demme's media career may have begun with a radio show at WSUC-FM (SUNY-Cortland), a mix of comedy and talk radio with the usual sidekick, as well as some music and was widely listened to on and off campus. He began his career as a production assistant at MTV. He later became a producer in the On-Air Promotions Department, created the cable network's hip-hop show Yo! MTV Raps (with Peter Dougherty), and directed other projects for MTV, including the black-and-white rants starring then-unknown comedian Denis Leary. 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 Leary, whom he directed as a lead or star in Leary's stand-up specials No Cure for Cancer and Lock n' Load, as well as the films Who's the Man?, The Ref, and Monument Ave. Leary produced the 2001 crime drama film Blow, which starred Johnny Depp as George Jung and was directed by Demme.

Demme was married to Amanda Scheer, with whom he had two children. Scheer later opened several popular Los Angeles bars, including Teddy's at the Roosevelt Hotel, named in honor of her late husband. He was a fan of the Green Bay Packers.

On January 13, 2002, while playing a celebrity basketball game, Demme collapsed and died of a heart attack which may have been related to cocaine later found in his system during an autopsy. Demme was cremated and his ashes were given to his family.

• Gun (1 episode, 1997) • Blow (2001) • John Q. (2002) Himself (Cameo) (Posthumously released)

• Yo! MTV Raps (1988, Unknown episodes) • APAB: Oh My God... It's the News! (1991) • The Bet (1992) • No Cure for Cancer (1992) • Who's the Man? (1993) • The Ref (1994) • Beautiful Girls (1996) • Homicide: Life on the Street (2 episodes, 1994–1996) • Gun (1 episode, 1997) • Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground (Segment: "Manhattan Miracle," 1997) • Denis Leary: Lock 'n Load (1997) • Monument Ave. (1998) • Life (1999) • Action (1 episode, 1999) • Blow (2001) • A Decade Under the Influence (Posthumously released, 2003)

• Yo! MTV Raps (1988, Unknown episodes) • Hangin' w/MTV (1992, Executive producer) • Monument Ave. (1998) • Rounders (1998) • Tumbleweeds (1999, Executive producer) • A Lesson Before Dying (1999, Executive producer) • Action (1 episode, Executive producer, 1999) • Blow (2001) • A Decade Under the Influence (Posthumously released, 2003)