Ridley Scott: biography, personal life, roles and films, photos

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The films of Ridley Scott are filmed series, books are written. This name is known to both fantasy lovers and fans of the historical epic. The director managed to find his golden mean between his own style and Hollywood standards, becoming a legend of cinema during his lifetime.

Let's try to get to know the producer, director Ridley Scott, a family man and just a person. His life path is by no means ordinary, so there is something to tell here.

Childhood

Ridley Scott was born on November 30, 1937 in the family of a colonel in the British Army. His father, Francis Percy, lived with his wife Elizabeth in the port city of South Shields, in the northeast of Foggy Albion.

Due to the specific profession of the father as such, the family did not have a permanent place of residence. As a child, the future director managed to live in Germany, Cumbria, Wales and other places. In addition to Ridley Scott, there were 2 more sons in the family. The youngest, Tony, was also fond of cinema, and the eldest, Frank, followed in his father's footsteps.

From the age of nine, Ridley spent almost all his time with canvas and paints, carried away with his headfine arts. Scott's father did not want another son to become a military man and, seeing his passion, sent him to art school. It was thanks to intelligent teachers that he learned to structure the course of his thoughts and transfer all the images that arise in his head to the canvas.

The works of Ridley Scott took first place in various art competitions, and subsequently settled in galleries. It is also worth noting that the drawings of the future director have repeatedly become a stumbling block for art historians, giving rise to heated debates.

Youth

After graduating from high school, Ridley Scott applied for the design department at West Harpool College. After a couple of years studying the intricacies of painting (1960-1962), he entered the film class of the Royal Academy of Arts.

And already here he began to develop that same individual style. The first work of the director was the short film "Guy and Bicycle". After graduating from the academy, the young and ambitious Scott began to work closely with the local broadcaster BBC.

Career

The company offered him a position as a decorator. Ridley began to create entourages, elaborate costumes and fine-tune props. Scott threw himself into his work, and his titanic work was recognized by his superiors.

In 1964, the young director was entrusted with the production of the famous television series Doctor Who. But it only lasted for the second season. He refused to participate in the project due to a catastrophic lack of time.

In 1968 with like-minded peopleHugh Hudson, Alan Parker and Tony Scott (younger brother) Ridley organizes his own company. At first, they took orders only for advertising, released more than 2000 videos. A little later, the director decided to abandon this format, he wanted to devote himself only to films. The list of films by Ridley Scott has crossed the mark of a hundred films and is still going on.

Meaningful works

In 1977, the director's first film, The Duellists, was released. The picture about the Napoleonic era won the award of the Cannes Film Festival as the best debut. Then the director, inspired by the Star Wars epic, set to work on the cult film, which would later be called Ridley Scott's best film. In 1979, the movie "Alien", released on the big screens, brought fame to the director, and also made the previously unknown actress Sigourney Weaver recognizable.

Fox originally budgeted the film at $4 million, but after the producers saw a preview of the storyboard, they decided to take the risk and double the budget. In the first weeks of release, the box office not only covered the costs, but also brought a very good profit.

In 1982, the director's new picture appeared on the screen - "Blade Runner", which starred the already famous "Indiana Jones" in the person of Harrison Ford. But the picture did not receive a wide vocation and covered production costs with a stretch: 28 million budget to 32 million at the box office.

In 1991, the melodrama "Thelma and Louise" was released,won an Oscar for best screenplay. Then, in 1997, G. I. Jane and White Squall appear. For three years, Ridley Scott was in thought and in search of a muse, and finally matured by the beginning of the 21st century.

Becoming intimately acquainted with Russell Crowe, in collaboration with him, the director literally produces cinematic masterpieces year after year: "Gladiator", "Gangster", "Body of Lies", "Robin Hood" and "Good Year".

Ridley Scott is also known to many from the rather heavy film "Hannibal", which was released in 2001. Reviews of critics about the picture were far from the most flattering, but the audience took the tape, as they say, "with a bang", and consider it a cult, putting it on a par with "Alien".

Late creativity

In 2012, one of the interpretations of "Alien" - "Prometheus" was released. The picture was perceived ambiguously by fans of this universe, but it still had success. The same can be said for the latest film about xenomorphs that continues the narrative started in Prometheus, Alien: Covenant.

Another significant film by Ridley Scott is The Martian. The picture was very warmly received by critics, picked up a large number of awards. The director is working successfully to this day and is already working on the next film based on Alien.

Private life

The famous director prefers not to talk about his personal life. It is authentically known that Ridley Scott was officially married twice, and journalists collect the rest of his ins and outs bit by bit, since inthere is practically no free access to it.

Ridley first married in 1964 to a very attractive girl named Felicita. The director's wife had nothing to do with the media or show business, she devoted herself entirely to raising her sons Luke and Jake. And Scott at that time conquered the cinematic Olympus, spent little time with his family. That is why the marriage broke up in 1975.

In 1979, the heart of the great director won the actress Sandy Watson (photo above). From this marriage, Scott has a daughter, Jordana. The marriage lasted 10 years, but the relationship came to naught for the same reason as the last time. Sandy dreamed of a whole family and wanted to see her husband at least a couple of hours in the evening, but Ridley dreamed of fame, worldwide recognition and worked hard, disappearing on the set.

Our days

Currently, the director lives in a civil marriage with Gianina Fazio (photo below). He met the actress on the set of Hannibal and says it was love at first sight. The beauty won the heart of Ridley Scott not only with her remarkable external data, but also with a non-trivial mind, as well as a wonderful sense of humor.

Janina did not step on the same rake as the director's past companions. So I decided to do things differently. Instead of waiting for her forever missing husband at home, she became his faithful companion and assistant on the set. Yes, they never had children, but they still got a happy marriage.