Wissenswertes

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is one of his biggest fans and as a result, pays homage to Demme (his famous close-ups, for example) in his work.

He has directed two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Stop Making Sense (1984) and Das Schweigen der Lämmer (1991).

Directed 8 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, Christine Lahti, Dean Stockwell, Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Tom Hanks, and Anne Hathaway. Steenburgen, Hopkins, Foster and Hanks won Oscars for their performances in one of Demme's movies.

Was voted the 45th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Co-directed the music video Bruce Springsteen: Streets of Philadelphia (1994) with his nephew, Ted Demme.

Uncle of Ted Demme & Jennifer Demme.

He and Michael Mann have both directed a Hannibal Lecter film and have also both been involved in a film about Howard Hughes. Mann directed Manhunter - Roter Drache (1986) and produced Aviator (2004), which he was originally to have directed. One of Demme's earliest films was Melvin und Howard (1980), and he later went on to direct Das Schweigen der Lämmer (1991).

Graduated from the University of Florida.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 255-258. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.

Member of 'Official Competition' jury at the 53rd Cannes International Film Festival in 2000.

Father, with Joanne Howard, of Ramona Demme, Brooklyn Demme, & Jos Demme.

Former critic who began his career as a publicist for Joseph E. Levine before becoming a screenwriter and producer for Roger Corman's New World Productions.

Director Jonathan Demme makes a cameo appearance as the director shooting the promo video in the film That Thing That You Do.

Was friends with Jodie Foster & Justin Timberlake.

Awarded honorary degree by Wesleyan University (June 3, 1990).

Formed production company Clinica Estetico in 1987 in conjunction with producers Edward Saxon & Peter Saraf.

He has directed one film that has been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Das Schweigen der Lämmer (1991) which also won in the category.

Frequently paired two actors together who would go on to share a common role. He cast Dennis Quaid and Bill Paxton in Crazy Mama, both actors went on to play Sam Houston. He cast Scott Glenn and Ted Levine in The Silence of the Lambs, who would both play astronaut Alan Shepard. He cast Tom Hanks and Jason Robards in Philadelphia, both actors would play Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee.

Although it became an informal tradition among Roger Corman alumni to give him a cameo in their films, Demme did so more often than any others, having cast him in Swing Shift, The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, and The Manchurian Candidate. Francis Ford Coppola, Joe Dante, and Ron Howard only ever cast Corman once.

Grandson of Edith Demme.

Second cousin of Jane Castle Moulton.

First cousin, once removed, of Robert W. Castle.

Great-nephew of Willy Castle.

Son of Robert E. Demme & Dorothy Demme.

Older brother of Peter Demme.