Guy Ritchie

Infobox Actor
bgcolour =
name = Guy Ritchie


caption = Ritchie (left centre) with wife Madonna (right)
birthdate = birth date and age|df=yes|1968|9|10
location = Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England
height = 5' 11" (1.80 m)
birthname = Guy Stuart Ritchie
spouse = Madonna (2000—present)
goldenraspberryawards = Worst Director
2002 "Swept Away"

Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968 in Hatfield, Hertfordshire [cite web| url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005363/| title=Guy Ritchie| publisher=Internet Movie Database] ) is an English screenwriter and film director.

Early life

Ritchie was born on 10 September 1968, the second of two children born to John Vivian Ritchie and his first wife, the former Amber Parkinson.cite web| url=http://harrymclaughlin.com/Descent_From_King_Edward_I_.pdf| title=Our Double Descent from the Blood Royal| author=Harry McLaughlin| publisher=harrymclaughlin.com| quote=Captain John Vivian Ritchie b. 1928. ... 1st marriage 1963=Amber, née Parkinson ... Guy Stuart Ritchie b. 1968| accessdate=2007-12-12] Ritchie, who is dyslexic, was expelled from Stanbridge Earls School, one of the most prominent institutions specialising in dyslexia in the UK, at the age of 15.cite web| url=http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=201267| title=Guy Ritchie Biography| publisher=The Biography Channel| accessdate=2007-12-12] . He has stated that drug use was the reason for the expulsion; his father, however, has said that it was because his son was caught "cutting lessons and entertaining a girl in his room." [Morton, Andrew, "Madonna", London: Macmillan, 2002; page 304.]

In addition to his elder sister, Tabitha, a dance instructor, Ritchie has a half-brother, Kevin Bayton, who was born to Amber Parkinson when she was a teenager and given up for adoption. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20001231/ai_n14514261] [http://www.adoption-net.co.uk/news/2001/jan/010105guy.htm]

From 1973 until 1980, when they divorced, [Morton, Andrew, "Madonna", London: Macmillan, 2002; page 304.] [http://www.thepeerage.com/p9471.htm] Ritchie's mother was married to Sir Michael Leighton, 11th baronet, a descendant of the Pre-Raphaelite painter Lord Leighton. As a divorcée, she is correctly styled as Amber, Lady Leighton.

Directing career

Ritchie directed a 20-minute short film in 1995 entitled "The Hard Case". His first full-length feature was the successful "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" in 1998. Recalling Quentin Tarantino, "The Sting" and "The Italian Job," the film was widely praised for its wit. It also introduced actor Jason Statham ("The Transporter") to worldwide audiences, and introduced former football player Vinnie Jones to a new career as a film actor. In 2000 Ritchie won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture Screenplay.

His second feature film was "Snatch", released in the year 2000. Originally known as "Diamonds", it was another caper comedy, this time backed by a major studio following the previous success of "Lock, Stock". The cast featured such Hollywood big names as Brad Pitt, Benicio del Toro and Dennis Farina, along with the returning Vinnie Jones and Statham. Similar to "Lock, Stock" in featuring a complex and inventive storyline in which the characters weave in and out of each others' lives, the film also plays with time, depicting events from various perspectives and recalling such classic crime films as Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing".

Ritchie created and produced a spin-off television series called "Lock, Stock...". [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243714/ "Lock, Stock..." (2000) ] ]

Following his marriage to Madonna, Ritchie began focusing his filmmaking on his famous wife, directing her in both a music video (for the song "What It Feels Like for a Girl," a controversial video that showed Madonna engaging in running people down with a car) and a short film, "Star", for the BMW films series. Ritchie's next film, also featuring Madonna, was a remake of the 1974 Lina Wertmüller hit "Swept Away" (also entitled "Swept Away"). Ritchie cast Madonna as a rich, rude, socialite who, after a shipwreck, is trapped on a deserted island with a slovenly Communist sailor who humiliates her. Ritchie renamed the woman Amber Leighton after his mother. This film was both a critical and commercial disappointment.

Ritchie's next project was a Vegas-themed heist film entitled "Revolver", which was critically panned. [cite web| url=http://www.filmfocus.co.uk/review.asp?ReviewID=344| title=Revolver Review| author=Simon Guerrier | publisher=filmfocus.co.uk| quote=Tedious, humourless, pretentious and nasty| accessdate=2007-12-12] [cite web| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/09/19/revolver_2005_review.shtml| title=BBC - Movies - review - Revolver| author=Adrian Hennigan| publisher=bbc.co.uk| quote=plodding pretentiousness in a film that's illuminated by great action set-pieces and some powerful performances, but not redeemed| accessdate=2007-12-12]

Another project Guy Ritchie was involved with was a hidden camera show called "Swag", for channel Five in the UK, which turned the table on criminals and opportunists by using stunts to trap them in the act.

David R. Hawkins notes on his website that Ritchie is in development to film a documentary about Hawkins.Fact|date=December 2007 Ritchie has also written and directed "RocknRolla" starring Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Gerard Butler, Jeremy Piven, Thandie Newton, & Tom Wilkinson. [cite web| url=http://www.muchmusic.com/news/story.asp?id=19458| title=Ludacris in new Guy Ritchie Film| publisher=muchmusic.com| date=2007-06-26| quote=Ludacris scored a role in the latest Guy Ritchie film RocknRolla. | accessdate=2007-12-12] Ritchie will also direct a film based on a comic book series he created with Virgin Comics entitled "Guy Ritchie's Gamekeeper". The film rights were acquired by Warner Brothers in July 2007. The film's being produced by Silver Pictures. [ [http://www.virgincomics.com/pressrelease_Gk.html News ] ]

In 2008, Ritchie directed a commercial for Nike called "Take It To The Next Level", about a young Dutch footballer who signs for Arsenal, showing the progression of his career from his viewpoint, until he makes his debut for the Netherlands. The commercial features cameo appearances from Arsene Wenger, William Gallas, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas, Marco Materazzi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Theo Walcott, Ronaldinho, Rafael Márquez, Bojan Krkic, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Nani, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Eduardo da Silva and Wesley Sneijder. Additional cast include Nicklas Bendtner, Abou Diaby, Armand Traoré, Andrés Iniesta, and Maniche. [ [http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/article.html?in_article_id=145076&in_page_id=43 Guy Ritchie's new Nike advert to hit screens] Metro, 28 April 2008]

Personal life

On 22 December 2000, he married the American pop singer and actress Madonna at Skibo Castle in Scotland. They have a son, Rocco, born 11 August 2000 in Los Angeles, California, and have adopted a Malawian baby boy, David.

He and Madonna are both devotees of the quasi-mystical Kabbalah Centre and donated money and time to practicing and spreading its teachings.

On 18 May 2000 Ritchie was arrested by the police after he assaulted a 20-year-old man outside the Kensington home he shared with the singer, causing actual bodily harm. [cite web| url=http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12051696| title=Madonna's Man Guy Ritchie Arrested | author=Craig Rosen| publisher=Yahoo! Music| accessdate=2007-12-12]

Ritchie was the inspiration for, and is the subject of, singer Robbie Williams' single "She's Madonna" from his 2006 album "Rudebox".

port

Ritchie started training in Shotokan karate at the age of seven at the Budokwai in London, where he later achieved a black belt in judo. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/09/25/nritch25.xml "I am used to getting a good rumping from the critics. So what?"] by Charlotte Edwardes, Daily Telegraph, UK. 26 September 2005.] He also has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/08/17/2008-08-17_madonnas_guy_madden_has_a_good_belt__in_.html Brown belt] - Madonna's Guy Madden has a good belt - in Brazilian martial arts] Ritchie is a fan of Chelsea Football Club. [cite web| url=http://www.chelseafc.com/page/CelebrityFans/0,,10268,00.html| title=Celebrity Fans | publisher=chelseafc.com| accessdate=2007-12-31]

Filmography

References

External links

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