Ted was born in San Francisco but spent his formative years in Elko, Nevada before moving to California in 1969. He received a degree in Social Ecology from the University of California at Irvine in 1979. He spent two years in the Master of Fine Art program in Irvine and then moved to Hollywood where he was a founding member of the Theatre of N.O.T.E. and appeared in and directed more than fifteen plays.

A Tucson resident since 1991 Ted has worked in a variety of fields over the years. A member of the Screen Actors Guild for 35 years he has appeared in numerous film and television roles. He worked in the restaurant industry for twenty years and owned a popular Tucson joint called Barrio Grill in downtown Tucson for eight years. He fronted the band “Buzzkills” until it's untimely demise in 2018 and has recorded numerous tunes with them and his partner in crime Cave Bacon out of Echo Park. You can find some of his recordings on Spotify and Pandora under Theo Cliff or Theo Ciff.

His last real job was teaching 5th grade but that didn’t last long. Although he found he loved opening up the minds of ten and eleven year olds, they wore him out.

He loves to write and finds it keeps him hunched over his vintage Brother Compactronic Ce-58 at all hours of the day and night. He is currently looking for an agent who can find an audience for his novels, short stories and plays. He is all over the board in regard to genres he explores, but when a story comes out of the ether one can only follow the muse to the bitter end.

Published Writing:
“Crossing with the Virgin; Stories from the Migrant Trail” University of Arizona Press, 2010
Desert Leaf and a few other local mags he doesn’t remember.