Director/producer Ted Demme was hailed by some critics and panned by others. His sordid career was a roller coaster of critical and mass successes and failures.
But the one irrefutable fact is that Demme’s untimely death last week cannot be ignored.
While playing in a celebrity basketball game in Santa Monica, the 38-year-old collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. One hour later, Demme was pronounced dead.
The initial autopsy was inconclusive, and now the Los Angeles Coroner’s office will begin toxicology tests. However, in an official statement the office claims, “It appears that Demme died of natural causes.”
Ted Demme had filmmaking in his blood. His uncle is Jonathan Demme, the Academy Award-winning director of “Silence of the Lambs.” But despite his famous family tie, Ted Demme started at the bottom of the Hollywood food chain as a production assistant at MTV.
He created “Yo! MTV Raps” in 1988 and produced the show for the network. In 1992 Demme directed comic Denis Leary’s critically acclaimed television special, “No Cure for Cancer.” This was followed by more television work, directing several episodes of “Homicide: Life on the Street” in 1993.
That same year Ted Demme also directed his first feature film, “Who’s the Man,” starring Dr. Dre and Ed Lover. The next year Demme re-teamed with Leary to direct “The Ref,” the film that is probably the most brilliant moment on his diverse resume. The film, starring Leary, Kevin Spacey (“American Beauty”) and Judy Davis (“Deconstructing Harry”), was and is a cult comedy classic.
In 1996 Demme changed gears from dark, cynical comedy to lighthearted romantic fare and directed “Beautiful Girls.” The film was a commercial success for him. The next year he returned to television and directed Denis Leary’s second comedy special, “Lock ‘N’ Load.” In 1998, Demme produced the Matt Damon card-hustler drama “Rounders.”
Ted Demme was aggressively carving a name out for himself and stepping out of his uncle’s formidable shadow. In 1999 Demme directed the ill-fated Martin Lawrence vehicle “Life.”
Most recently, Demme took a stab at drama in last year’s “Blow,” which starred Johnny Depp. The biographical drama told the story of George Jung, the man considered by many to be responsible for the introduction of cocaine to the United States. The film itself received mixed reviews but it generated plenty of buzz because of Paul “Pee Wee Herman” Reuben’s turn as a homosexual hairdresser-turned-pusher. This clearly points to Demme’s talent for eliciting quality performances from his actors.
Ted Demme never had the chance to begin working on the film that could have truly made him a household name. “Nautica” was to be a murder-mystery aboard a yacht starring Ewan McGregor and Heath Ledger. Sadly, Demme’s long climb to notoriety had not yet reached it’s paramount. Yet, he will be remembered for what he was and what he could have been.
