Hampton Fancher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hampton Fancher
Fancher in 2017
Born	Hampton Lansden Fancher (1938-07-18) July 18, 1938 (age 87) East Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Mario Montejo
Occupation	Screenwriter producer actor director
Known for	Blade Runner Blade Runner 2049 The Minus Man
Spouse(s)	Joann McNabb ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1963)​ Sue Lyon ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1965)​
Awards	Montreal Special Grand Prize of the Jury

Hampton Fancher is an American actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He is most famous for co-writing the classic science fiction film Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel, Blade Runner 2049 (2017). A screenwriter writes the script for a movie, including the dialogue and the action.

Early Life and Acting Career

Hampton Fancher was born in East Los Angeles, California, on July 18, 1938. His mother was from Mexico and his father was an English-American doctor.

When he was only 15, Fancher ran away to Spain to become a flamenco dancer. He even changed his name to "Mario Montejo." After returning to the United States, he began a career as an actor.

Starting in the late 1950s, Fancher appeared in many popular TV shows, especially Westerns. He had roles in shows like Black Saddle, Have Gun, Will Travel, and Bonanza. He also acted in over 50 movies and television shows throughout his career.

Writing a Sci-Fi Classic

Creating Blade Runner

Even while acting, Fancher was interested in writing scripts. In 1975, he discovered the science fiction novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick and wanted to turn it into a movie.

Fancher wrote the first script for the film, which would eventually be called Blade Runner. He also served as an executive producer. However, he and the director, Ridley Scott, had different ideas for the movie. Scott wanted to focus more on the futuristic world, while Fancher's script focused on the characters' feelings.

The production team felt Fancher was writing too slowly, so they gave him the nickname "Happen Faster." Another writer, David Peoples, was brought in to help finish the script. The final movie, released in 1982, became a landmark science fiction film.

Later Work

After Blade Runner, Fancher continued to write. He wrote the script for The Mighty Quinn (1989), a movie starring Denzel Washington.

In 1999, he wrote and directed his first movie, The Minus Man, starring Owen Wilson. The film won a major award at the Montreal World Film Festival.

Decades after the original, Fancher returned to the world of Blade Runner. He co-wrote the story and screenplay for the sequel, Blade Runner 2049, which was released in 2017.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of Hampton Fancher's most important works in film.

See also

In Spanish: Hampton Fancher para niños