Ridley Scott

Guide Note

British director and producer Ridley Scott has directed nearly 20 feature-length films. His early success with Alien and Blade Runner earned him a reputation as a top science fiction director. Since 2000, he has directed Black Hawk Down, American Gangster and Gladiator which won an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Fast Facts

1. Born: November 30, 1937
2. Hometown: South Shields, England
3. Three-time Oscar nominee for Best Director
4. Children: Jordan, Luke & Jake Scott
5. Girlfriend: Giannina Facio

Lighting, sets and visual atmosphere are trademarks of Scott's work. Much of the mood in Alien and Blade Runner are based on color and music, with the dialogue and action often a secondary feature.

In his 1970s and '80s productions, he was often thought of as a difficult director to work for, demanding of his crew and actors, often shooting many takes of the same sequence.

Scott's career has been marked by several critically acclaimed films, often followed by several financial and critical failures. After Blade Runner, Legend was initially panned by critics, though it has seen a cult following on DVD. He was nominated for Best Director for 1989's Thelma and Louise, 2000's Gladiator and 2001's Black Hawk Down, though he has never won this award.

Following the success of the Coen Brothers' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men, Scott has signed on to direct an adaptation of another McCarthy novel, Blood Meridian.