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More Brett Ratner Bios & Profiles

 

The most recent Brett Ratner biography is published on the main page.
 


Biography #2 (for After the Sunset)

Brett Ratner has established himself as one of Hollywood's most successful directors. By the time he was twenty-six years old, he directed his first feature film, the box office hit, Money Talks, starring Charlie Sheen and Chris Tucker. His second film, the action comedy Rush Hour, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, earned $250 million worldwide. He followed that success with The Family Man, a critical as well as another box office hit, starring Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni. A year later, Ratner delivered more Hong Kong-style action with Rush Hour 2, which grossed more than $342 million worldwide. His last film, Red Dragon, made box office history in 2002 as the biggest opening weekend in October and went on to gross $250 million worldwide. Raised in Miami Beach, Ratner dreamed of being a filmmaker since the age of eight. He enrolled in New York University's Tisch School of Arts when he was sixteen, becoming the department's youngest film major. While attending NYU Film School, he made Whatever Happened to Mason Reese, which earned awards and brought him to the attention of Steven Spielberg, whose Amblin Entertainment gave him a production grant.

When hip-hop impressario Russell Simmons saw the short, he hired him for his music videos. Ratner has since directed more than 100 music videos for such artists as Madonna, Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Wu Tang Clan, D'Angelo, Heavy D, Mary J. Blige, Foxy Brown, Public Enemy, P. Diddy, and many others. He also won the Tony Award for producing Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on Broadwy. In addition to success in film and music, Ratner has also segued into the world of publishing. He published Mark Helfrich's photo-driven Naked Pictures of my Ex- Girlfriends and authored the Powerhouse Books project, Hilhaven Lodge: The Photo Booth Pictures, which was released in October 2003.

Ratner is on the board of directors of the Chrysalis Foundation, which helps economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals change their lives through jobs. For his work with the organization, Ratner was the recipient of the Spirit of Chrysalis Award.

Bio courtesy New Line Cinema for "After the Sunset" (21-Nov-2004)


Biography #3 (for Red Dragon)

Brett Ratner makes his first foray into the world of suspense thrillers with Red Dragon, his fifth feature film.

In a very short time, Ratner has established himself as one of Hollywood's most successful directors. His first film was the 1997 surprise box office hit Money Talks, a comedy starring Charlie Sheen, Chris Tucker, Paul Sorvino and Heather Locklear. His second film, the 1999 action comedy Rush Hour, starred Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker and earned $250 million worldwide. He followed that success with the romantic fantasy drama The Family Man, a critical and box office hit starring Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni in 2000. A year later, Ratner delivered Hong Kong-style action with Chan and Tucker in the hit Rush Hour 2, which grossed more than $342 million worldwide.

Raised in Miami, Ratner had dreamed of being a filmmaker since the age of eight. He enrolled in New York University's Tisch School of the Arts at age 16, becoming the department's youngest film major. While attending NYU Film School, he made Whatever Happened to Mason Reese, a short film starring and about the former child actor. The award-winning project received funding from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. Ratner's big break came after he screened his film for hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons, launching a successful career in music videos. He has directed more than 100 videos since then, for artists including Madonna, Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Wu Tang Clan, D'Angelo, Heavy D, Mary J. Blige, Foxy Brown, Public Enemy, P Diddy and many others.

In 1999, Ratner won the MTV Award for Best Video for a Film for Madonna's Beautiful Stranger from the Austin Powers soundtrack. He has also received awards for his short films and commercials. In 2001, he received the Spirit of Chrysalis Award for his dedication and leadership in helping economically-disadvantaged and homeless individuals change their lives through jobs.

Bio courtesy Universal Pictures for "Red Dragon" (01-Jan-2000)