"I'm very fortunate, but this business is about being talented", Ted Demme told Movieline (December 1995) about being director Jonathan's nephew. "You can't ride anyone's coattails." Certainly, the younger Demme owes his success in the business to hard work, not to nepotism. He originally harbored dreams of being a football player as well as a coach and teacher until a 285-pound guy destroyed his knee halfway through his freshman year of college. Demme then began announcing games, doing play-by-play and color on college radio, and as he graduated to local TV and making short films, the dream
After college, bartended at New York Jet Joe Klecko's Long Island restaurant
1986
Worked as production assistant, then producer and director, at MTV; big break came in 1988 when he created successful hip-hop pilot which became the smash weekly half-hour show "Yo! MTV Raps"; also introduced Denis Leary in 30-second spots as the Crazy Angry Smoking Guy
With MTV co-worker Joel Stillerman, formed Spanky Pictures
