FILM DIRECTOR

Ted Kotcheff

1931 - 2025

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William Theodore Kotcheff (Bulgarian: Величко Тодоров Цочев, romanized: Velichko Todorov Tsochev; April 7, 1931 – April 10, 2025) was a Canadian director and producer of film, television, and theatre. He worked at various times in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He was known for having directed such films as the seminal Australian New Wave picture Wake in Fright (1971), the Mordecai Richler adaptations The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) and Joshua Then and Now (1985), the original Rambo film First Blood (1982), and the comedies Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), North Dallas Forty (1979), and Weekend at Bernie's (1989). Kotcheff was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction, a Gemini Award for Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series, and twice for the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ted Kotcheff is the 312th most popular film director (up from 511th in 2019), the 110th most popular biography from Canada (up from 154th in 2019) and the 6th most popular Canadian Film Director.

Ted Kotcheff is most famous for directing First Blood (1982), the film that introduced the iconic character John Rambo. He’s also known for the dark comedy Weekend at Bernie’s and his work on the Australian classic Wake in Fright.

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Among FILM DIRECTORS

Among film directors, Ted Kotcheff ranks 312 out of 2,041. Before him are Walter Salles, Lung Chien, John G. Avildsen, Jiří Trnka, Tengiz Abuladze, and Mario Monicelli. After him are King Vidor, François Ozon, Yuen Woo-ping, Jeannot Szwarc, Edward Dmytryk, and Adrian Lyne.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1931, Ted Kotcheff ranks 108. Before him are Luís Cabral, Tomi Ungerer, Caroline Graham, Nikolai Chernykh, Guido de Marco, and Jack Swigert. After him are Alfred Schmidt, Pascal Lissouba, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Ryuzo Hiraki, Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, and Samir Amin. Among people deceased in 2025, Ted Kotcheff ranks 80. Before him are Mauricio Funes, James Harrison, Pierre Nora, Trần Đức Lương, Robert Hübner, and Thanin Kraivichien. After him are Renato Corsetti, Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat, Jeannot Szwarc, Fred Stolle, Anastasios of Albania, and Werner Leimgruber.

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In Canada

Among people born in Canada, Ted Kotcheff ranks 110 out of 1,622. Before him are Louis Slotin (1910), Carrie-Anne Moss (1967), James Randi (1928), Michael Ironside (1950), Simon Newcomb (1835), and Yvonne De Carlo (1922). After him are Edward Dmytryk (1908), Graham Greene (1952), Justin Bieber (1994), Norma Shearer (1902), Mark Carney (1965), and Denny Doherty (1940).

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Among FILM DIRECTORS In Canada

Among film directors born in Canada, Ted Kotcheff ranks 6. Before him are James Cameron (1954), Jack L. Warner (1892), David Cronenberg (1943), Mark Robson (1913), and Denis Villeneuve (1967). After him are Edward Dmytryk (1908), Norman Jewison (1926), Denys Arcand (1941), Arthur Hiller (1923), Paul Haggis (1953), and Roger Spottiswoode (1945).

Canadian born Film Directors

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