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Ted Kotcheff, the director of films like Weekend at Bernie’s and First Blood, has passed away at the age of 94. In a statement to the Canadian media outlet The Globe and Mail, Kotcheff’s family confirmed his death, revealing he died on Thursday, April 10.
As reported by The Guardian on April 12, Ted Kotcheff’s daughter, Kate, told the Canadian Press that he had died of heart failure in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, where he lived. Kate added:
“He was an amazing storyteller. He was an incredible, larger than life character [and] he was a director who could turn his hand to anything.”
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Meanwhile, the same outlet reported that his son, Thomas, said:
“He died of old age, peacefully, and surrounded by loved ones.”
As per the LA Times’ April 11 report, Ted Kotcheff is survived by his wife, Laifun Chung; brother Tim; children Aaron, Kate, Joshua, Alexandra, and Thomas; and grandchildren Isabella, Dante, Dorian, and Elsie. His first wife, actress Sylvia Kay, and his granddaughter, Matilda, died before him.
Everything to know about Ted Kotcheff’s wives and his five children
Ted Kotcheff and his second wife, Laifun Chung, lived in Beverly Hills, where they had two children: Thomas and Alexandra. From his former marriage to actress Sylvia Kay, he had three children: Joshua, Katrina, and Aaron.
Chung, a production designer, gained popularity for her work on the 2014 film Fearless. Alexandra Kotcheff was born in California and made her acting debut as a young star in the 1995 movie Hidden Assassin.
She also worked in the 2000 movie Pay It Forward. Additionally, her credits as a filmmaker and producer include Lockdown (2014) and The Planters (2019). She has been married to Milen Angelov since August 15, 2017. In 2020, she wrote a children's book called Amethyst Loves Purple.
Meanwhile, Thomas Kotcheff is an American pianist and composer currently living in Los Angeles. He received the 2015 Presser Foundation Music Award and the 2016 American Academy of Arts and Letters Charles Ives Prize.
His performances include those with The Riot Ensemble, the Seattle Symphony, the New York Youth Symphony, Wild Up, the Argus Quartet, the Lyris Quartet, and Trio Appassionata. It further includes the Alinde Quartet, the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Peabody Percussion Group, and the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble.
Thomas also created and organized the music for Christopher Nolan's 2023 film Oppenheimer, which won Best Original Score at the 96th Academy Awards and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
Ted Kotcheff’s first wife, the English actress Sylvia, starred in several British television shows, most famously as Daphne Warrender in the BBC sitcom Just Good Friends. She also appeared in films like That Kind of Girl (1963), Rapture (1965), Wake in Fright (1971), and Coming Out of the Ice (1982). Additionally, she starred in an episode of Public Eye (1968), the television series The Avengers (1968), Dalziel and Pascoe, Shelley, Z-Cars, Minder, The Professionals, and Mixed Blessings.
Not much is known about Aaron Kotcheff, but he is recognized for his work in Joshua Then and Now (1985).
Meanwhile, award-winning English/Canadian writer and filmmaker Josh Kotcheff has worked in TV, films, and theater on both sides of the Atlantic. As a director with the Bare Bones Theatre Group, he helmed six productions that won awards at the Canterbury and Brighton Theatre Festivals.
He also wrote for the highly regarded US network program Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His episode, Fallacy, received a Shine Award and was nominated for a GLAAD award.
As per Stage32, Josh is currently working on the thriller Jackie 2.0, with Genesis Lynea in the lead; the television series DMAT 1, with Barbara De Fina producing; and the film Alien Bounty, directed by John Azpilicueta and currently in post-production.
As of now, no public information has been released regarding the funeral arrangements for Ted Kotcheff.
