A rising young filmmaker who brought a humorous edge to his Hollywood work, TV producer-turned-movie director Ted Demme's career was abruptly cut short by his death in January 2002.
Born in New York City, Demme may have been a college athlete, but he preferred to follow his uncle Jonathan Demme's lead, entering the entertainment industry after school. Starting his career as a production assistant at MTV, Demme quickly made his mark as one of the creators of the trailblazing hit series Yo! MTV Raps in 1988. After honing his skills as a producer and music video director for MTV, Demme helmed his first feature, hip-hop comedy Who's the Man? (1993), and reached a key professional turning point when he directed comic Denis Leary's TV special No Cure for Cancer (1992).
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