TV & Film Profile

Ridley Scott

British Director of Big Productions By Eric Schneider

A veteran English filmmaker happily at home in Hollywood.

One of few British directors to wholeheartedly embrace big-budget Hollywood movies, Ridley Scott became renowned for his science-fiction/fantasy films, but tends to favor helming gritty action-infused dramas. While Scott's tense futuristic thrillers Alien (1979) and Blade Runner ('82) established him as a major filmmaker—and, of course, stand as undisputed sci-fi classics—they, along with ‘85's Legend, left the restless Englishman feeling boxed in, resulting in decades of avoiding all things blatantly fantastical. Subsequent Scott movies tended to be sturdy and engaging, if ultimately unremarkable, until '91's Thelma & Louise, which was both unique, with its feminist ferocity, and surprisingly successful. Though Scott has hit some sour notes—most notably the stomach-turning Hannibal and the yawn-inducing A Good Year—other accomplishments, such as the mighty Gladiator and rugged Black Hawk Down play to the director's strengths. Knighted in 2003 and reportedly circling future sci-fi projects, Scott shows no signs of slowing down, as readily proven by his ambitious latter-day movies American Gangster and Robin Hood, both featuring frequent collaborator Russell Crowe.

TAGS: Action, Adventure, British, Director, Drama, Hollywood, Producer, Science Fiction, Thriller,

FACTS: Born/Formed: November 30, 1937; Location: South Shields, Tyne & Wear, England

Ridley Scott on Alien Clip