Ted Kotcheff, the Canadian-born director best known for bringing John Rambo to the screen in 'First Blood', has died aged 94

A prolific filmmaker whose career spanned more than five decades, Ted directed several landmark films including 'Fun With Dick and Jane', 'Weekend at Bernie's' and 'North Dallas Forty'.

Born in Toronto in 1931, he began his career in Canadian television before relocating to the UK.

His feature directorial debut came in 1962 with the British comedy 'Tiara Tahiti'.

Ted's breakthrough came with the controversial Australian thriller 'Wake in Fright' in 1971, which earned critical acclaim and helped pave his way into Hollywood.

He further cemented his reputation with 'The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz', a 1974 film starring Richard Dreyfuss that won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

His biggest commercial success arrived in 1982 with 'First Blood', the film that introduced Sylvester Stallone as the Vietnam War veteran John Rambo.

Though the movie leaned more towards psychological drama than action spectacle, it became the 13th-highest-grossing film of the year and sparked a franchise that would span decades.

In a 2014 interview with Variety, Ted reflected on his approach to storytelling, saying: "I am not the judge of my characters, and that became part of my artistic credo. That's how I approach all of my characters."

He followed 'First Blood' with 'Uncommon Valor' in 1983, another film exploring the Vietnam War's impact, before pivoting to comedy with the cult hit 'Weekend at Bernie's' in 1989.

A sequel followed in 1993.

Though he gradually stepped back from cinema during the 1990s, Ted found a second act in television. He became a longtime producer and director on 'Law & Order: SVU', where he worked for more than a decade.

"Ted was an integral part of the SVU family for over 13 years," the show's creator, Dick Wolf, said - adding: "He was not only a great producer and director, he was also a close friend. I will miss him."

Ted is survived by his wife Laifun Chun, their two children, and three kids from his first marriage to British actress Sylvia Kay.

Fans paid tribute to the director on social media.

One wrote: "One of the great Canadian directors. RIP Ted."

Another added: "Just watched 'First Blood' last week, and viewed his comments in the special features. You could tell the guy loved making movies. Absolutely infectious commentary. RIP."

Ted received the Directors Guild of Canada's lifetime achievement award in 2011.