Ted Kotcheff, a Canadian filmmaker recognized for directing “First Blood” and “Weekend at Bernie’s,” passed away on April 10, 2025, in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. He was 94. His family confirmed his death to The Globe and Mail, citing heart failure as the cause according to multiple sources.
Kotcheff was born on April 7, 1931, in Toronto, Ontario, to Bulgarian immigrant parents. Originally named Tsochev, he studied English literature at the University of Toronto. In the 1950s, he began his career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, becoming the youngest director at age 24, where he directed television dramas.
In pursuit of new opportunities, Kotcheff moved to London in the 1960s. There, he directed television plays and theater productions. His first feature film as a director was the 1962 British comedy “Tiara Tahiti,” featuring James Mason.
Kotcheff gained significant recognition with his 1971 film “Wake in Fright,” set in the Australian outback. The thriller received critical acclaim in Europe and is considered a classic in Australian cinema, influencing many Australian filmmakers.
After returning to Canada in 1972, Kotcheff directed “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz,” a 1974 adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s novel. Starring Richard Dreyfuss, the film achieved international acclaim and won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, also earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
His success in Canada led Kotcheff to Hollywood, where he directed several popular films. His 1977 film “Fun With Dick and Jane,” starring Jane Fonda and George Segal, and the 1979 football drama “North Dallas Forty” with Nick Nolte were both box office successes.
Kotcheff’s most notable commercial achievement was “First Blood” in 1982, introducing Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo. The film ranked as the 13th highest-grossing release of that year and initiated a franchise that continued with four more films, the latest released in 2019.
In a 2014 interview with Variety, Kotcheff described his filmmaking approach, quoting Anton Chekhov: “I am not the judge of my characters, and that became part of my artistic credo. That’s how I approach all of my characters.”
After directing “Uncommon Valor” in 1983, Kotcheff returned to comedy with “Weekend at Bernie’s” in 1989. The film, starring Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman, was a hit and resulted in a sequel in 1993.
Kotcheff was married twice. He married British actress Sylvia Kay in 1960, and they had three children before divorcing in 1972. He later married Laifun Chun, who was also a producing partner on some of his projects, and they had two children, Thomas and Alexandra.
In the 1990s, Kotcheff transitioned to television, joining the Dick Wolf universe as an executive producer and director on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” where he worked for over 13 seasons.
Dick Wolf commended Kotcheff’s role in the series, noting his integral part in the SVU family and his contributions as a producer and director, as well as a close friend who will be missed.
Throughout his career, Kotcheff earned numerous awards. In 2011, the Directors Guild of Canada presented him with their Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014, he received the Academy Board of Directors’ Tribute Award from the Canadian Screen Awards.
At the time of his death, a documentary on Kotcheff’s career, “The Apprenticeship of Ted Kotcheff,” was in production. Narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, the project aims to highlight Kotcheff’s significant contributions to cinema.
Kotcheff’s diverse body of work, which spans multiple countries and genres, highlights his adaptability and creative vision. His films, from “First Blood” to “Weekend at Bernie’s,” demonstrate his refusal to be limited to a single style or theme.
