Guy Ritchie, a renowned film director, was born on September 10, 1968, in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK. Growing up, he was fascinated by the film industry, particularly after watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) as a child. This sparked his desire to make films, which eventually led him to drop out of school at the age of 15.
Ritchie's early career began as a runner, and he quickly progressed to directing music promos for bands and commercials. The profits from these projects allowed him to invest in his own film-making endeavors. In 1995, he wrote and directed the short film The Hard Case, a 20-minute prequel to his debut feature Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998).
The Hard Case caught the attention of Sting's wife, Trudie Styler, who invested in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Despite being rejected by 10 British distributors, the film was eventually released in the UK in 1998 and the US in 1999, gaining Ritchie recognition as a rising filmmaker.
Ritchie's subsequent films, including Snatch (2000),Revolver (2005),and RocknRolla (2008),showcased his unique directing style and knack for bringing together talented casts. His work with his wife Madonna, including the short film Star (2001) and the controversial video "What It Feels Like for a Girl," further solidified his reputation in the industry.
In 2009, Ritchie directed the blockbuster hit Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, which grossed over $520 million worldwide. The film's success led to a sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011). Ritchie is currently working on an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.
In his personal life, Ritchie has two sons with Madonna: Rocco, born in 2000, and an adopted son, David, born in 2005. The couple divorced in 2008, and Ritchie went on to have two more children with his model girlfriend, Jacqui Ainsley: Rafael, born in 2011, and a second child, whose birth was announced in 2012.
