Guy Ritchie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Guy Ritchie
Ritchie in 2017
Born	Guy Stuart Ritchie (1968-09-10) 10 September 1968 (age 56) Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England
Occupation	Film director producer screenwriter businessman
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Madonna ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2008)​ Jacqui Ainsley ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	5

Guy Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is a famous English film director, producer, and writer. He is known for making exciting movies. Some of his popular films include British crime stories and the "Sherlock Holmes" movies. These films star Robert Downey Jr. as the famous detective.

Guy Ritchie started working in the film industry when he was 15. He first made TV commercials. In 1995, he directed a short film called The Hard Case. His first full-length movie was the crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). He became very well known with his second film, Snatch (2000). This movie was popular and successful.

After that, he directed Swept Away (2002). He also made Revolver (2005) and RocknRolla (2008). In 2009 and 2011, he directed the very successful Sherlock Holmes and its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The first "Sherlock Holmes" movie was even nominated for two Academy Awards.

His other movies include The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015). This film was based on a 1960s TV show. He also directed King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) and Aladdin (2019). The "Aladdin" movie was a live-action version of the 1992 Disney cartoon. It earned over $1 billion worldwide, making it his most successful film.

In 2019, he returned to making crime comedies with The Gentlemen. This movie was well-liked and did well at the box office. He then worked with actor Jason Statham again on the action films Wrath of Man (2021) and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023). His second film of 2023, The Covenant, also received good reviews.

Guy Ritchie's Life and Career

Early Life and First Steps in Film (1968–1997)

Guy Ritchie was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England, on September 10, 1968. He is the second child of Amber Parkinson and Captain John Vivian Ritchie. His father was a former soldier and worked in advertising. Guy has an older sister, Tabitha. He also has a half-brother, Kevin.

Both of Guy's parents remarried. His father's second wife was Shireen Ritchie, Baroness Ritchie of Brompton. She was a former model and later became a politician.

Guy Ritchie has dyslexia, which is a learning difference that affects reading. He went to Windlesham House School and Stanbridge Earls School. He left school when he was 15 years old.

Becoming Famous (1998–2002)

After making his short film, The Hard Case (1995), Guy Ritchie met Matthew Vaughn in 1998. Matthew Vaughn was interested in producing Guy's first major movie. It took 15 months to get the money needed to make the film.

The crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was finished in about eight months. It starred Nick Moran, Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng, and Dexter Fletcher. The movie helped these actors become known around the world. It also started the acting career of former football player Vinnie Jones. The film was released in the United Kingdom on August 28, 1998. It was a big success with both critics and audiences. The New York Times praised Ritchie's "lively direction." The movie earned $28.1 million worldwide.

At the 1999 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was nominated for three awards. It won a BAFTA for Film of the Year. Because the movie was so popular, Ritchie created a TV show based on it called Lock, Stock... in 2000.

Ritchie's next film was Snatch (2000). This was another crime comedy about criminals looking for a stolen diamond. It had many famous actors like Benicio del Toro, Dennis Farina, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt, and Jason Statham. Like his previous film, Snatch showed events from different characters' points of view. This is a special way of telling a story that he often uses. Snatch was released on August 23, 2000, and was very successful. It made over $83 million worldwide.

In 2001, Ritchie directed a music video for the song "What It Feels Like for a Girl" by Madonna. He was married to Madonna at the time. Ritchie also directed a short film called Star for a series promoting BMW cars.

Ritchie's next movie was Swept Away (2002). It starred Madonna and Adriano Giannini. This film was a remake of an Italian movie from 1974. It was a romantic comedy about a rich woman who gets stuck on a deserted island with a sailor. The movie was not liked by critics and did not make much money. It even won five awards at the Golden Raspberry Awards, which are given to the worst films.

Later Films and Sherlock Holmes (2003–2015)

Ritchie at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

After a two-year break, Ritchie directed another heist film called Revolver (2005). It starred Jason Statham again. The story is about a gambler named Jake Green who wants revenge on those who stole his money. The film was released in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2005. It was not liked by critics and did not make much money. Ritchie said that Revolver was not made for everyone.

In 2008, Ritchie directed RocknRolla, which he also wrote. This movie is set in London and tells the story of gangsters, a rock star, and powerful people who are all connected. It starred Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, and Thandie Newton. RocknRolla was released on September 5, 2008, in the UK. It was generally well-received. That same year, Ritchie directed a TV commercial for Nike called "Take It To The Next Level." It featured famous football players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

Ritchie's next big project was Sherlock Holmes (2009). This movie was based on the famous detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It starred Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. The film was released in December 2009 and was a huge success. It made over $520 million worldwide. It also received good reviews from critics and viewers. Robert Downey Jr. even won a Golden Globe Award for his role.

In 2011, Ritchie directed the sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. This film was also a big success, earning over $545 million worldwide.

Ritchie at the Paris premiere of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, 2012

In 2012, Ritchie produced a trailer for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II. In 2013 and 2014, he directed commercials for H&M and Haig whisky, both starring David Beckham.

He returned to directing movies in 2015 with The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. This was a remake of a 1960s spy TV series. The story is about a CIA agent and a KGB agent who work together. They try to stop a criminal group from building a nuclear weapon. The film starred Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. It was released on August 14, 2015. Critics had mixed feelings about the movie.

How Guy Ritchie Makes Films

His Style and Inspirations

Guy Ritchie has said that filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Sergio Leone have influenced his work. He also mentioned that many good films have inspired him. He likes movies such as The Long Good Friday (1980) and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966).

Ritchie's films often have memorable and "colorful" characters. For example, the Irish boxer Mickey O'Neil in Snatch. His crime films also feature quick conversations and characters who act tough. They sometimes use Cockney slang, which is a special way of speaking from London. His movies also show different parts of the British class system.

He uses fast-paced and energetic action scenes. He also uses quick cuts and slow motion to make the story exciting. Ritchie is known for using stories that weave together and do not always follow a straight timeline. This can be seen in Snatch, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, and Sherlock Holmes.

Guy Ritchie has worked many times with the same actors. These include Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng, Mark Strong, Jude Law, Hugh Grant, and Charlie Hunnam.

Guy Ritchie's Personal Life

Ritchie with Madonna in 2005

Guy Ritchie started learning Shotokan karate at age seven. He earned a black belt in both Shotokan and Judo. He also has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

On December 22, 2000, he married American singer-songwriter Madonna in Scotland. They had a son named Rocco in 2000. They also adopted a baby boy from Malawi named David Banda in 2006.

Madonna filed for divorce in October 2008. They reached an agreement for their divorce in December 2008. They also agreed on how to share custody of their children.

In 2010, Ritchie met English model Jacqui Ainsley. They got married on July 30, 2015. They have three children together.

In July 2020, Ritchie received a six-month driving ban. This happened after he was caught using a mobile phone while driving.

Other Things Guy Ritchie Does

Ritchie designed this Paddington Bear statue for the NSPCC in 2014. It was inspired by fashion designer Cecil Beaton.

Guy Ritchie owns a pub in London called The Lore of the Land. He also used to own another pub with David Beckham. Ritchie has a small company called Gritchie Brewing Company. They make beer on his estate in Wiltshire. He also owns The Wild Kitchen, which sells outdoor cooking equipment.

In 2022, it was announced that Ritchie bought Compton Abbas Airfield. He took over running the airfield in February 2023.

From 2007 to 2008, Ritchie also wrote a comic book series. It was called Guy Ritchie's Gamekeeper.

Guy Ritchie's Films

Feature Films

Short Films

Cameo Appearances

Television Work

Images for kids

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  Ritchie at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

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  Ritchie at the Paris premiere of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, 2012

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  Ritchie with Madonna in 2005

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  Ritchie designed this Paddington Bear statue for the NSPCC in 2014.