Ridley Scott

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Ridley Scott summary

Ridley Scott

Q: What is Ridley Scott known for?

Ridley Scott is a British film director and producer whose movies are acclaimed for their visual style and rich details. His best-known films include The Duellists (1977), Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Legend (1985), Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), The Martian (2015), The Last Duel (2021), and House of Gucci (2021).

Q: What was Ridley Scott's first film as a director?

The Duellists (1977), set in Napoleonic France, was Ridley Scott’s first film as a director. The movie won the best first-feature award at the Cannes film festival .

Q: Did Ridley Scott win an Oscar for Thelma & Louise ?

Ridley Scott was nominated as best director for his film Thelma & Louise (1991), but he did not win that Oscar . ( Jonathan Demme did instead.) Scott’s film’s feminist theme was the focus of critical attention, and both Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon were nominated for the best-actress Oscar for their work.

Q: Which of Ridley Scott's films are considered classics?

Alien (1979), a science-fiction–horror story, and Blade Runner (1982), a dystopian neo-noir fable based on a Philip K. Dick novel and notable for Scott’s vision of a grim future, are widely regarded as classics.

British director and producer

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 15, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

Born:: November 30, 1937, South Shields, Durham [now Tyne and Wear], England (age 87)

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What is Ridley Scott known for?

What was Ridley Scott's first film as a director?

Did Ridley Scott win an Oscar for Thelma & Louise?

Which of Ridley Scott's films are considered classics?

News •

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Paul Mescal Set to Star in Sony’s Beatles Movies, Says Ridley Scott • Dec. 11, 2024, 4:59 AM ET (The Hollywood Reporter)

Golden Globe Nominations: Jon M. Chu, Paul Mescal, Meryl Streep Snubbed as Diego Luna, Jamie Foxx Surprise • Dec. 10, 2024, 3:57 AM ET (The Hollywood Reporter)

Adam Somner, Oscar-Nominated Assistant Director and Producer, Dies at 57 • Nov. 29, 2024, 9:17 PM ET (The Hollywood Reporter)

Gladiator 2 Cinematographer Criticises "Impatient" Director Ridley Scott • Nov. 28, 2024, 5:02 AM ET (Newsweek)

Ridley Scott (born November 30, 1937, South Shields, Durham [now Tyne and Wear], England) is a British film director and producer whose movies are acclaimed for their visual style and rich details. Scott’s father was in the military, and the family lived in several different places during World War II. After the war they settled in the Teeside metropolitan area of northeastern England. Scott attended the West Hartlepool College of Art, earning a bachelor’s degree in design in 1958, and in the early 1960s he received a master’s degree in graphic arts from the Royal College of Art in London. ...(100 of 725 words)

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