Ted Kotcheff, a prominent Canadian director with a career extending over six decades, 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. His original surname was Tsochev. He studied English literature at the University of Toronto before starting his career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in the 1950s. At 24, he became the youngest director at CBC, where he directed television dramas.
In the 1960s, Kotcheff moved to London to pursue broader opportunities, directing television plays and theater productions. He made his feature film directorial debut in 1962 with “Tiara Tahiti,” a British comedy starring James Mason.
His career took a notable turn with the 1971 film “Wake in Fright,” an Australian outback thriller that became significant in Australian cinema. The film was critically acclaimed in Europe and is regarded as one of the finest Australian films, influencing many Australian filmmakers.
Kotcheff returned to Canada in 1972 and directed “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz,” a 1974 adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s novel starring Richard Dreyfuss. The film earned international recognition, winning the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
This success led Kotcheff to Hollywood, where he directed various popular films. His 1977 film “Fun With Dick and Jane,” featuring Jane Fonda and George Segal, was a box office success, as was the 1979 football drama “North Dallas Forty,” with Nick Nolte.
Kotcheff’s most notable commercial achievement came in 1982 with “First Blood,” introducing Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo. The film, co-written by Stallone, became a major success, ranking as the 13th-highest-grossing film of that year and spawning a franchise with four sequels, the latest of which was released in 2019.
Kotcheff described his filmmaking approach in a 2014 interview with Variety, referencing Anton Chekhov: “I am not the judge of my characters, and that became part of my artistic credo.”
After directing “Uncommon Valor” in 1983, a Vietnam-themed film with Gene Hackman, Kotcheff returned to comedy in 1989 with “Weekend at Bernie’s.” The film, starring Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman, became a hit and led to a 1993 sequel.
In his personal life, Kotcheff 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 in some projects. They had two children, Thomas and Alexandra.
Though his film work slowed in the 1990s, Kotcheff transitioned to television, becoming an executive producer and director on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” for over 13 seasons.
Dick Wolf, creator of the series, commended Kotcheff’s contributions, noting he was a vital part of the SVU team and a close friend who would be missed.
Throughout his career, Kotcheff received numerous accolades. The Directors Guild of Canada presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, and in 2014, he was honored with the Academy Board of Directors’ Tribute Award at the Canadian Screen Awards.
At his passing, a documentary about Kotcheff’s life, “The Apprenticeship of Ted Kotcheff,” was in production, narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, to highlight his significant contributions to cinema.
Kotcheff’s wide-ranging filmography, spanning countries and genres, demonstrates his adaptability and artistic vision, from the post-Vietnam themes of “First Blood” to the comedic approach of “Weekend at Bernie’s.”
