Printable Biography of Brett Ratner

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

 

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. This past year Ratner received an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight Sequence for Rush Hour 2. 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.