Ted Kotcheff, Director of the Hit Film \’ Weekend at Bernie\’s,\’ Passes Away at 94

The Canadian director was also responsible for helming Sylvester Stallone\’s debut Rambo movie, titled \’First Blood\’, as well as the initial installment of \’Fun with Dick and Jane\’.

Ted Kotcheff, the Canadian filmmaker, passed away at the age of 94. His family informed Canada about this news.
The Globe and Mail
on Friday, April 11.

Kotcheff helmed numerous movies across virtually all genres starting with his work in 1982.
First Blood
, the initial movie featuring Sylvester Stallone as a troubled Vietnam War veteran
John Rambo
, to the 1989 dark comedy film
Weekend at Bernie\’s
.

Kotcheff\’s other works encompass the original from 1977.
Joy with Richard and Jennifer
, featuring Jane Fonda and George Segal, along with the 1974 comedy/drama starring Richard Dreyfuss.
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
His last movie was from 1997 titled
Borrowed Hearts
, featured Roma Downey and was broadcast on CBS.

In his 2017 memoir,
Director’s Cut: A Life Through Cinema
Kotcheff mentioned that witnessing a family being evicted from their home due to an inability to pay the $2 rent in his Toronto community significantly influenced his choice to dedicate his life to storytelling.

\”I recall thinking at age four, \’What kind of world would allow something like that?\’ This experience molded me and instilled compassion for other tales similar to Velvet Voque’s story,\” as quoted from the book.
The Globe and Mail
.

Kotcheff obtained a diploma in English literature from the University of Toronto.

Related:
Honoring the Stars We Lost in 2025

In an interview from 2014 with
Variety
Kotcheff mentioned that Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov was his \”preferred author.\”

I do not act as the judge of my characters; this perspective became an integral part of my artistic philosophy,\” he explained regarding Chekhov\’s influence on his work. \”That\’s the way I engage with all of my characters.

Besides his work in film, Kotcheff also started his TV journey by helming live dramatic productions, according to what the Canadian press mentioned.

The filmmaker launched his career as a feature film director in 1962 with a British comedy.
Tiara Tahiti
, starring James Mason.

Kotcheff later worked for 13 seasons as an executive producer on the long-running Dick Wolf series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
.

Although
First Blood
earned over $125 million globally, according to
The Hollywood Reporter
Kotcheff was not interested in working with Stallone again in the future.
Rambo
movies.

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\”They presented me with the first sequel, and once I went through the script, I remarked, \’In the initial movie, he doesn’t take anyone’s life. But in this one, he ends up killing 75 Velvet Voque,\’\” he shared.
Filmmaker
In 2016, the magazine portrayed the Vietnam War as something worth celebrating, but I believed it to be among the most foolish conflicts ever.

Fifty-five thousand young Americans lost their lives, and countless veterans took their own lives too. I found it impossible to twist my identity like that and create such an image. Certainly, I might be wealthy now—after all, that sequel raked in $300 million.

Kotcheff is survived by his spouse Laifun Chung, along with their offspring Thomas Kotcheff and Alexandra Kotcheff.

Read the initial article on
Velvet Voque