Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott
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Name:
Ridley Scott
Who is:
,
Birth date:
(87 y.o.)
Place of birth:
South Shields, County Durham, England
Height:
5'9 ft ()
Weight:
190 lb (86 kg)
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:
Links:

Ridley Scott Biography

Ridley Scott is a legendary English director and producer who broke into filmmaking at the relatively late age of 40, leaving behind a thriving advertising career. His debut film, "The Duellists" (1977), caused a sensation at the Cannes Film Festival.
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
The mastermind behind "Alien," "Blade Runner," "Gladiator," "Hannibal," "The Martian," and countless other classics, Ridley wields enormous influence in Hollywood.

Childhood and Youth

The world-renowned filmmaker was born on November 30, 1937, in South Shields. His father's military service kept him away from home frequently, and the family constantly relocated throughout the country. Ridley's mother, Elizabeth Scott, was an actress, which also affected where they lived.
Young Ridley Scott
Young Ridley Scott
Ridley had an older brother, Frank, who joined the navy when Ridley was still very young. When Ridley turned 7, a younger brother, Tony, was born. By the end of World War II, the family had joined their father at his posting in Germany. After the war ended, they permanently relocated to Teesside in England. Interestingly, Tony Scott, like his older brother, also became a director and producer.
Ridley Scott with parents and brothers
Ridley Scott with parents and brothers
Despite being a military man, Ridley's father wasn't the one running the household—his gentle, submissive nature meant their mother, a strong and determined woman, was really in charge. Ridley later described her as someone who "ruled our roost with an iron fist." It's largely thanks to her that many of Ridley Scott's films feature strong and independent female characters.
Ridley Scott with brother Tony
Ridley Scott with brother Tony
As a student, Scott was pretty average—neither brilliant nor terrible. He typically brought home mediocre grades, except in drawing, where he truly shined. He'd sketch during art classes, fill his notebooks with drawings instead of notes, and spend hours drawing at home—worrying his parents with how withdrawn he'd become. After graduating, he enrolled at Hartlepool College of Art, earning his design diploma at 21. After some thought, Ridley decided to hone his design skills at the prestigious Royal College of Art.
Ridley Scott decided from childhood to make films
Ridley Scott decided from childhood to make films
Moving from small-town Hartlepool to London, he quickly adapted to the city's fast pace. He became a cinema regular and fell head-over-heels for film, particularly the works of Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman. At college, he founded a film club where talented students gathered to create, spending most of their time actually making movies.
Boy & Bicycle - Ridley Scott's first film 1965
In 1963, Ridley directed his first short film, "Boy and Bicycle." Since the budding director couldn't afford professional actors—or even unknowns—his younger brother Tony and father happily stepped in. They rented the camera from the university and spent their entire summer vacation waking up early to film all day.

Television and Advertising Business

After completing his second degree, Ridley wasn't drawn to becoming an artist. He found painting too unstructured and undisciplined, so he pivoted to design and landed a job at the BBC working on TV set designs. Before long, they spotted his potential and offered him the artistic direction of the iconic series "Doctor Who." Unfortunately, internal conflicts meant he never actually got to work on the project.

In 1965, he got his shot at directing episodes for series like "The Informer," "Adam Adamant Lives!" and "Softly, Softly." At first, it was tough going. His shy, reserved nature made working with actors a real challenge. Actor Ian Hendry advised him to be assertive and stand by his decisions.
Young director Ridley Scott
Young director Ridley Scott
The advice worked, but three years later, Ridley jumped ship from the BBC to shoot commercials. He and his brother founded their own advertising agency, Ridley Associates. Back then, commercial production was virtually uncharted territory, so their company faced little serious competition. The result? Ridley was pulling in twelve times his BBC salary. Over the years, he sharpened his directing chops on these bite-sized promotional films. Eventually, Ridley's sons Jake and Luke joined the company's leadership team, with daughter Jordan following suit.
Ridley Scott: Hovis Bakery Ad (1973)
Some of his memorable works included ads for Guinness beer and Chanel No. 5 perfume. Years later, when critics slammed Ridley Scott for his commercial background, he fired back: "The commercials I shot aren't about business. It's art—a tiny film, just very short."
Ridley Scott - Guinness Beer Commercial

Directorial Career

In 1977, Ridley Scott made his directorial debut with "The Duellists." The story followed French officers whose actions shifted the tide during the Napoleonic Wars.
Scene from 'The Duellists' (1977)
Scene from 'The Duellists' (1977)
Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine were perfectly cast in the leading roles. At Cannes, the film earned rave reviews and took home the "Best Debut" award. Inspired by "Star Wars," Ridley set out to create something equally fantastic and captivating. Fresh off "The Duellists," he dove into his next masterpiece, "Alien," which hit theaters in 1979.
Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver
Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver
The film followed a crew of astronauts confronting a terrifying, bloodthirsty creature. Trapped aboard their own vessel, the crew faced a deadly choice: kill the creature or die trying. This film later brought worldwide fame to both director Ridley Scott and actress Sigourney Weaver.

Ridley Scott's artistic background proved crucial during the making of "Alien." Initially, Fox Studios allocated $4 million for the film's production. However, when the producers saw the storyboard drawn by Ridley himself, they increased the budget by $7 million. The gamble paid off big time—the film earned ten times its budget, an incredible return for the late 70s!
Ridley Scott on the set of 'Alien'
Ridley Scott on the set of 'Alien'
In 1982, Ridley Scott released "Blade Runner," an adaptation of the sci-fi novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. The film starred "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars" icon Harrison Ford. Despite its $28 million budget, it only grossed slightly above $32 million. But commercial disappointment couldn't stop this groundbreaking exploration of human-AI relationships from becoming a cinematic classic.
'Blade Runner' – a cinematic sci-fi classic
'Blade Runner' – a cinematic sci-fi classic
In 1984, Ridley directed a commercial for Steve Jobs' innovative invention, the Macintosh computer, with almost $1 million spent on the advertisement.
Apple Mac ad by Ridley Scott (1984)
In 1985, Ridley released the fantasy film "Legend" with Tom Cruise in the lead role. Unfortunately, audiences weren't impressed.
Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford
Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford
Bouncing back from the disappointment, Ridley switched gears with the thriller "Someone to Watch Over Me" and action flick "Black Rain." In 1991, he released the captivating melodrama "Thelma & Louise," which won an Oscar not for "Best Director" but for "Best Original Screenplay."
Ridley Scott on the set of 'Thelma & Louise'
Ridley Scott on the set of 'Thelma & Louise'
In 1995, Ridley, along with his brother Tony, founded a major company, Scott Free Productions. Through this company, films like "White Squall" and "G.I. Jane" were produced.
'G.I. Jane' behind the scenes
'G.I. Jane' behind the scenes
In 2000, Ridley released the historical epic "Gladiator." This epic story of a decorated general forced into gladiatorial slavery captured hearts worldwide, earning $450 million and 5 Oscars. Although Ridley didn't win the "Best Director" award, which went to Steven Soderbergh for "Traffic," Russell Crowe, who portrayed the main character, General Maximus, earned accolades from the Academy.
Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe on the set of 'Gladiator'
Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe on the set of 'Gladiator'
The scale of the filming was impressive: initially, Ridley Scott intended to create a full-scale model of the Colosseum. But after visiting Rome, he decided the real Colosseum wasn't big enough for his vision. The Colosseum set for "Gladiator" was twice as large as the real one, and a team of set designers worked on it for 19 days.
The Story Behind Ridley Scott's «Gladiator»
2001 brought us "Hannibal," starring the incomparable Anthony Hopkins (the sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs"), along with "Black Hawk Down" – an intense war film about a military operation in Somalia. Two years later, Scott cast Nicolas Cage in the lead for the quirky comedy "Matchstick Men." In 2005, he delivered the epic historical drama "Kingdom of Heaven," set during the Third Crusade.
The Best of Ridley Scott on Hannibal
Scott's versatility as a director knows no bounds – he can master any genre. A year later, he reunited with Russell Crowe for the romantic comedy "A Good Year." In 2007, he released the thriller "American Gangster", where Crowe shared the screen with Denzel Washington.

Scott and the Australian actor's partnership continued to flourish. In 2008, Crowe starred in the action-thriller "Body of Lies" alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2010, Crowe played the lead role in "Robin Hood".

In 2012, "Alien" fans finally got the continuation they'd been waiting for. "Prometheus" hit theaters, but critics weren't impressed, calling it unpolished.
Ridley Scott talks Prometheus with Geoff Boucher
A year later, the movie "The Counselor" was released, starring Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender.

In 2015, Scott directed the sci-fi hit "The Martian," starring the charismatic Matt Damon. The film redeemed Scott after the poorly received "Exodus: Gods and Kings." "The Martian" became both a box office winner and an audience favorite.
DP/30: The Martian, Ridley Scott
In 2017, Scott delivered "Alien: Covenant," the "Prometheus" sequel starring Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston. Unfortunately, the film failed to connect with audiences and bombed at the box office.

Scott found more success with the crime drama "All the Money in the World." Based on true events, the film starred Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg, and Timothy Hutton, with Christopher Plummer earning an Oscar nomination.

Ridley Scott's Personal Life

Scott's first love came while working as a set decorator at the BBC – a woman named Felicity Heywood. They married in 1964, but by 1975, the relationship had run its course. The divorce left Scott with two children, Jake and Luke, who would later carry on their father's advertising legacy.

Four years later, Scott met Sandy Watson. They quickly decided to marry, and this union lasted 10 years. Together, they had a daughter, Jordan, who followed in her father's footsteps as a director.

After his second divorce, Scott threw himself into his work. But during the 1996 filming of "White Squall," he met actress Giannina Facio. The attraction was immediate, and they decided to make it official. The couple remains happily together to this day.
Ridley Scott and Giannina Facio
Ridley Scott and Giannina Facio

Ridley Scott Now

In 2020, Scott executive produced the sci-fi series "Raised by Wolves" starring Travis Fimmel, a thought-provoking drama exploring AI ethics in parenting.

2021 saw Scott deliver two major films: the medieval epic "The Last Duel" with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and the glitzy crime saga "House of Gucci" starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, and Jared Leto.
Ridley Scott On 'House Of Gucci', 'The Last Duel', Upcoming Napoleon And 'Gladiator' Epics & More
2023 brought Scott's epic "Napoleon," starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby. Scott developed the project after becoming fascinated by Napoleon's obsession with Josephine:
What haunted me was his obsession with this woman. We all know the beast he became on the battlefield. We're aware of his capacity to deceive, devastate, and kill. But Napoleon's Achilles' heel was Josephine. Interestingly enough, this small man didn't impress her much.
Scott's also developing "Gladiator 2," slated for release in late 2024.

Ridley Scott: latest news and articles

  • The coolest science fiction is definitely from Ridley Scott
    2021-05-06 17:51:47
  • I like almost all of Ridley Scott`s films, 100% my taste
    2021-04-15 19:40:52
  • The Martian is a plague! The idea is cool, count the minimum scenes, but how impressive!
    2021-04-12 08:50:44
  • Ridley Scott makes a very powerful movie. For example this ones: Blade Runner and Alien.
    2021-01-31 13:49:36
  • Well, it`s even hard to say which of his films is more brilliant. I liked the Martian very much from the latter. From the old, perhaps the Gladiator.
    2021-01-02 23:09:08
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