Though he may have enjoyed cultivating his image as a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, British filmmaker Guy Ritchie was actually the son of successful advertising executive John Ritchie and, after his parents divorced, spent much of his youth at the 17th century home of his baronet stepfather, Sir Michael Leighton. His dyslexia made school a tough proposition, and he managed only a GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) in film studies, knocking about as a laborer until finally setting his sights on a filmmaking career at age 25. Beginning as a film runner, he branched into directing music videos, doing "20 videos back to back, really crappy ones with sort of German rave bands" his first year. He may have abhorred the music, but he learned a lot about the camera and moved on to helm a couple commercials before directing a 20-minute short, "The Hard Case" (1995). When it aired on Channel 4, it caught the eye of Sting, whose wife Trudie Styler would serve as an executive producer of his 1998 feature directing debut, "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". (Sting would make a cameo appearance.) Possessing style to spare, Ritchie's glamorization of the tawdry world of East End crooks became one of that year's biggest home-grown successes in the United Kingdom, second only to "Sliding Doors", starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Though it didn't fare as well in the USA, it was not for lack of humor or plot twists that kept the clever caper movie from running out of steam in the final act. Ritchie scripted some wonderful characters with Damon Runyonesque names like Hatchet Harry (P.H. Moriarty), Barry the Baptist (Harry's "muscle" played by the late bare knuckles champion Lenny McLean) and Big Chris, a deadpan hitman essayed with panache by British soccer bad boy Vinnie Jones. He also wisely chose to play some of the most vicious acts of violence off camera, showing the ramifications while effectively distancing the viewer from the bloodshed. His accomplished first picture made him one of the hottest young directors around and earned Sony's backing for his second film, "Snatch" (2000), a return to the same colorful gangland milieu that featured Brad Pitt. Ritchie also co-scripted and produced that year's "Lock, Stock and Four Stolen Hooves", the pilot for the seven-part British TV series version of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (for Channel 4).
Once Ritchie married and fathered a son with the decade-older multimedia megastar Madonna, an on-screen collaboration seemed inevitable. The couple started with baby steps, teaming for the stylish music video for her hit song "What It Feels Like for a Girl" and, later, the fast-paced and funny short film "Star," part of a five-episode series of car-oriented vignettes featured on the website for automaker BMW. The married duo finally hit the big screen together in 2002 when Ritchie directed his wife in the romantic comedy "Swept Away," a remake of Lina Wertmuller's 1974 Italian film of the same title, in which Madonna plays a spoiled rich woman marooned on a deserted island with a spirited sailor (Adriano Gainnini). Suffice to say, the film tanked; even landing on many a viewers' "worst movies of all time" lists. Cited as the film's biggest flaw - Madonna's acting ability, or lack thereof.
Profession(s):
director, screenwriter, producer, construction worker
Sometimes Credited As:
Guy Stuart Ritchie
Family
father:John Ritchie (Born c. 1929; responsible for the legendary commercials for Hamlet cigars; divorced from Ritchie's mother when Ritchie was five)
mother:Amber (Divorced Ritchie's father when Ritchie was five; married Sir Michael Leighton)
sister:Tabitha Ritchie (Runs a dance centre in Fulham)
son:Rocco Ritchie (Born Aug. 11, 2000; mother, Madonna)
son:David Banda (With wife Madonna, took custody of a motherless one year-old boy from Malawi on Oct. 12, 2006, after filing adoption papers; adoption finalized in May 2008)
step-daughter:Lourdes Maria Leon (Born Oct. 14, 1996; mother, Madonna; father, Carlos Leon)
step-father:Michael Leighton (Eleventh holder of a 300-year-old baronetcy; divorced from Ritchie's mother by the time Ritchie was 12)
step-mother:Shireen Ritchie
wife:Madonna (Began dating c. 1999; met through Trudie Styler, wife of pop star Sting and an executive producer on "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (1999); previously married to actor Sean Penn; has daughter with former beau Carlos Leon; mother of Ritchie's son Rocco; married Dec. 22, 2000 in Scotland)
Companion(s)
Rebecca Green
, Companion
, ```..Daughter of British tycoon Michael Green; her parents reportedly financed "The Hard Case" (1995), Ritchie's short film that became his calling card for "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (1999)
Evening Standard British Film Award Most Promising Newcomer "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" 1999
London Critics Circle Film Award British Screenwriter of the Year "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" 1999
MTV Movie Award Best New Filmmaker "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" 1999
Tokyo International Film Festival Best Director "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" 1998
2008 Directed (also produced and scripted) the Russian mob drama, "RocknRolla" starring Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton and Tom Wilkinson
2007 Developed the concept for the 10-issue limited series comic book, The Gamekeeper (Virgin Comics)
2005 Helmed the Vegas-themed heist film "Revolver"; film was also critically panned
2003 Developed the hidden camera show called "Swag," which aired on Britain’s Channel 5
2002 Directed "Swept Away", a remake of the Italian film starring Madonna; the film was both a critical and commercial disappointment
2001 Helmed Madonna's music video "What It Feels Like for a Girl"
2001 Directed "Star", one of five short film advertisements for BMW shown over the Internet at bmwfilms.com; Madonna had featured role
2000 Co-wrote and produced "Lock, Stock and Four Stolen Hooves", the pilot for seven-part British TV series "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", based on the feature; aired on Channel 4
2000 Arrested May 17 for alledgedly assaulting a man outside the $2.7 million mansion he was renting with his girlfriend Madonna, who was five months pregnant at the time
2000 Follow-up feature, "Snatch", with much of the "Lock, Stock" cast (i.e., Jason Flemying, Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham) and Brad Pitt, released in Britain; on the strength of his debut, Sony committed to
1998 Debut feature as writer-director, "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"; first film with producing partner, Matthew Vaughn; a friend of Ritchie's had aroused Vaughn's interest by lying that he had col
1995 Made 20-minute short film, "The Hard Case"
1993 Got job as a runner for Soho film producers (date approximate)
Split time between Fulham and Hatfield until parents divorced
Following parents' divorce, spent much of his youth at Loton Park, the 17th-century home of his baronet stepfather, Sir Michael Leighton
After washing out of Standbridge Earls School at age 15, worked at Island Records
Began working construction jobs at age 17
Directed about 20 music videos as well as a few commercials