Bryan Singer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bryan Singer
Singer in 2015
Born	Bryan Jay Singer (1965-09-17) September 17, 1965 (age 59) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Director film producer screenwriter
Years active	1984–present
Children	1

Bryan Jay Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is known for directing and producing many popular movies and TV shows. He started his own production company called Bad Hat Harry Productions.

After finishing his studies at the University of Southern California, Singer made his first short film, Lion's Den (1988). This helped him get the money to make his next movie, Public Access (1993). It was a big success and won a top prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival.

In the 1990s, Singer became famous for directing the crime movie The Usual Suspects (1995). He then directed another thriller called Apt Pupil (1998), which was based on a story by Stephen King.

Singer is very well known for directing big-budget superhero movies. These include X-Men (2000), its sequel X2 (2003), and Superman Returns (2006). He also directed the World War II movie Valkyrie (2008) and more X-Men films like X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).

He also directed most of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), a film about the band Queen. However, he was replaced before filming was complete. In recent years, Singer's career has been affected by public controversies.

Early life

Bryan Singer was born in New York City on September 17, 1965. He was adopted by Grace Sinden, who worked to protect the environment, and Norbert Dave Singer, a business executive. He grew up in a Jewish family in West Windsor Township, New Jersey.

When he was a teenager, he enjoyed making short films with an 8mm camera and taking pictures. He went to West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South and graduated in 1984. He then studied filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts in New York for two years. Later, he moved to Los Angeles and went to the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Career

Starting Out: 1980s–1990s

In 1988, Singer directed a short film called Lion's Den. Some of his friends helped him, including actor Ethan Hawke. After a Japanese company saw the film, they offered to fund a bigger project. This led to his first feature film, Public Access (1993). The movie won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

In 1994, he started his own production company, Bad Hat Harry Productions. The name was a tribute to a famous line from the movie Jaws. His next film was The Usual Suspects, which became a huge success. It won two Academy Awards.

In 1998, Singer directed Apt Pupil, based on a story by Stephen King. The movie is a thriller about a boy who discovers a dark secret about his neighbor.

Superhero Movies and More: The 2000s

Singer at Comic Con in 2006

In the early 2000s, Singer became famous for directing superhero movies. He directed X-Men (2000) and its sequel X2 (2003). Both films were very popular and successful at the box office.

In 2006, he directed Superman Returns. Singer said he felt a connection to Superman because they were both adopted. He was inspired by the classic 1978 Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve.

Singer at the premiere of Valkyrie in 2009

Singer also directed Valkyrie in 2008. This historical film tells the true story of a plot to stop Adolf Hitler during World War II.

Return to X-Men and Other Projects: The 2010s

In the 2010s, Singer continued to be involved with the X-Men series. He was a producer and co-writer for X-Men: First Class (2011). He then returned to the director's chair for X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). He also directed the fantasy adventure film Jack the Giant Slayer (2013).

In 2016, it was announced that Singer would direct Bohemian Rhapsody, a movie about the rock band Queen. However, he was fired from the film near the end of production. Another director, Dexter Fletcher, was brought in to finish the movie. Because he had directed most of the film, Singer still received the director credit.

He also directed the first episode of the TV show The Gifted, which is set in the X-Men universe.

Personal life

Singer has a son, born in January 2015, with actress Michelle Clunie.

He used to live in Malibu, California, but sold his home there in 2021. He later moved to Israel.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web series

Awards and nominations

Note: Singer was originally nominated for a Best British Film award in 2019 for Bohemian Rhapsody. However, the Academy later withdrew his nomination.

See also

In Spanish: Bryan Singer para niños