Share on Facebook
In 2009, he directed his first films in the action mystery genre, with Sherlock Holmes and its sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Here are Guy Ritchie's 43 facts.
1. Ritchie was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.
2. Is the second of two children of Amber and Captain John Vivian Ritchie.
3. His father is former Seaforth Highlanders serviceman and advertising executive.
4. Ritchie's mother, Amber, later married a baronet.
5. His father's second marriage was to Shireen Ritchie, Baroness Ritchie of Brompton, a former model and later Conservative politician and life peer.
6. Ritchie, who is dyslexic, was expelled from Stanbridge Earls School at the age of 15.
7. He has stated that drug use was the reason for the expulsion; his father has said that it was because his son was caught "cutting class and entertaining a girl in his room."
8. In addition to his elder sister, Tabitha, Ritchie has a half-brother, Kevin Bayton, who was born to Amber Parkinson when she was a teenager and given up for adoption.
9. His sister Tabitha is a dance instructor.
10. His full name is Guy Stuart Ritchie.
11. He is an English filmmaker.
12. Known for his crime films.
13. He left secondary school and got entry-level jobs in the film industry in the mid-1990s.
14. He eventually graduated to directing commercials.
15. He directed his first film in 1995, a 20-minute short which impressed investors who backed his first feature film, the crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
16. He then directed another crime comedy, Snatch.
17. His next two films, the romantic comedy Swept Away and the crime drama Revolver were not commercial or critical successes.
18. In 2009, he directed his first films in the action mystery genre, with Sherlock Holmes and its sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Both films were major box office successes, and the two films received positive, and moderately positive reviews, respectively.
19. 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. 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 and Two Smoking Barrels in featuring a complex and inventive storyline in which the characters weave in and out of each other's lives, the film also plays with time, depicting events from various perspectives. It currently has a rating of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes.
20. Following his marriage to Madonna, Ritchie began focusing his filmmaking on his wife, directing her in both a music video and a short film, Star, for the BMW films series.
21. Ritchie's next film, also featuring Madonna, was a remake of the 1974 Lina Wertmüller hit Swept Away (also entitled Swept Away).
22. 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.
23. Ritchie's next project was a Vegas-themed heist film entitled Revolver, which was critically panned in the US and UK.
24. Ritchie was involved with 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.
25. 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 some football players with music by Eagles of Death Metal.
26. On 29 October 2012, Ritchie produced a game trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
27. Ritchie directed Warner Bros.' The Man From U.N.C.L.E., which was filmed in 2013 in London and Italy, and was released in August 2015.
28. In January 2014, Warner Bros set Ritchie to direct a new multi-film version of the King Arthur legend titled Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur, which is scheduled for an 24 March 2017 release with Lionel Wigram as producer and Joby Harold as screenwriter. Idris Elba is in talks to play a Merlin-esque figure who trains and mentors Arthur. Charlie Hunnam will play King Arthur by Ritchie's choice.
29. Ritchie started training in Shotokan karate at the age of seven at the Budokwai in London.
30. Achieved a black belt in judo.
31. He also has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
32. On 22 December 2000, Guy married American singer Madonna at Skibo Castle in Scotland.
33. Guy and Madona have a son, Rocco John Ritchie.
34. Adopted a Malawian baby boy in 2006, David.
35. On 15 October 2008, British media reported that a split was "imminent" between Ritchie and Madonna. The split was confirmed by their spokesperson and Ritchie and Madonna went public with the split because they "can't bear to live with the pretense any longer".
36. On 30 July 2015, Ritchie married model Jacqui Ainsley.
37. Ritchie and Ainsley have three children: son Rafael, daughter Rivka, and son Levi.
38. Was introduced to Madonna by Sting & Trudie Styler at their Country Estate.
39. Trudie Styler is a godmother to his son Rocco.
40. At his wedding to Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow was the Maid of Honor.
41. Matthew Vaughn was his best met when Guy married Madonna.
42. Rupert Everett is Godmother to his son David.
43. He is a big fan of Chelsea FC.
