Demme's media career may have begun with a radio show at WSUC-FM, a mix of comedy and talk radio with the usual sidekick, as well as some music and was widely listened to on and off campus. His career had modest beginnings—starting as a production assistant at MTV, he later became a producer in the On-Air Promotions Department and created the cable network's hip-hop show Yo! MTV Raps, and directed other projects for them, including the black-and-white rants starring then-unknown chain-smoking comedian Denis Leary. Over the course of his career, he established a group of actors that he chose to work with on more than one occasion. The most frequently used of these was Leary, whom he directed as a lead or star in No Cure for Cancer, The Ref, and Monument Ave. Leary produced the 2001 crime drama filmBlow, which starred Johnny Depp as George Jung and was directed by Demme.
Personal life
Demme was married to Amanda Scheer, with whom he had two children. Scheer later opened several popular Los Angeles bars, including Teddy's at the Roosevelt Hotel, named in honor of her late husband. He was a fan of the Green Bay Packers.
Death
On January 13, 2002, while playing a celebrity basketball game, Demme collapsed and died of a heart attack which may have been related to cocaine later found in his system during an autopsy. Demme was cremated, and his ashes were given to his family.
Tributes
Much of one edition of the IFC program Dinner for Five was given over to a description of Demme's last night and fond reminiscences about his life, mostly by Denis Leary and the show's host Jon Favreau. This touched on Demme's being a fan of the Green Bay Packers and his fondness for playing practical jokes. At the 2002 Golden Globe awards show, one week following Demme's death, Kevin Spacey wore a picture of Demme on his suit jacket. He was also in the 74th Academy Awards In Memoriam tribute that was also presented by Kevin Spacey. The Truth About Charlie, his uncle Jonathan Demme's remake of Charade, was dedicated in his memory. The 2003 album Blackberry Belle by The Twilight Singers led by Greg Dulli, was written in tribute to Demme, Dulli's close friend. Dulli had been working on another project, titled Amber Headlights, but abandoned those sessions due to Demme's death. The recordings which followed, fueled in part by the memory of Demme, resulted in Blackberry Belle. The 2002 film Punch-Drunk Love, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, is dedicated to Demme.
