John Ridley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Ridley
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Ridley in 2013.
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John Ridley IV
October 1, 1964 |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Screenwriter Novelist Television writer Television director |
| Years active | 1988–present |
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Notable work
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12 Years a Slave American Crime |
| Spouse(s) | Gayle Ridley |
| Children | 2 |
John Ridley IV (born October 1, 1964) is an American writer, director, and producer. He is famous for his work in movies, TV shows, and books. One of his most well-known achievements is writing the screenplay for the movie 12 Years a Slave, which won him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also created and produced the TV series American Crime. In 2017, he directed the documentary film Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992.
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Early Life and Education
John Ridley was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When he was seven, his family moved to Mequon, Wisconsin. His father was an eye doctor, and his mother was a special education teacher. John has two sisters and is the middle child.
He finished high school at Homestead High School in 1982. He first went to Indiana University but later transferred to New York University. There, he earned a degree in East Asian languages. Even though this subject wasn't directly related to his future career, it helped him explore new ideas and interests. John Ridley is Christian.
John Ridley's Creative Career
After college, John Ridley lived and traveled in Japan for a year. When he returned to New York, he started performing standup comedy. He even appeared on popular late-night TV shows like Late Night with David Letterman and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
In 1990, he moved to Los Angeles and began writing for TV shows. Some of the well-known sitcoms he wrote for include Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and The John Larroquette Show.
Writing and Directing Films
John Ridley made his first movie, a crime thriller called Cold Around the Heart, in 1997. He both wrote and directed it. Around the same time, he worked with director Oliver Stone to turn his first novel, Stray Dogs, into the movie U Turn.
He continued to write novels, including Love Is a Racket and Everybody Smokes in Hell. His novel Spoils of War was made into the 1999 film Three Kings. John Ridley also wrote screenplays for movies like Red Tails and Undercover Brother.
His script for 12 Years a Slave earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. This made him the second African American to win this award.
Television and Comics Work
John Ridley also worked as a writer and producer for the NBC crime drama Third Watch. From 2000 to 2010, he was a commentator and blogger for NPR, where he wrote a blog called Visible Man.
In 2015, he started working on a TV series for ABC based on a Marvel Comics character. This project was later canceled, but Ridley shared that it would have been a version of Eternals.
He has also directed and written other films, such as Needle in a Timestack (2021) and Shirley (2024).
More recently, John Ridley has been writing for DC Comics. He wrote a new Batman series called 'The Next Batman' and a special 5-issue series called 'The Other History of the DC Universe'. This series tells the stories of non-white and non-American DC heroes like Black Lightning and Katana. In May 2021, Marvel Comics announced that Ridley would also write Black Panther comics.
Personal Life
John Ridley is married to Gayle, who used to work as a script supervisor. They have two children together.
Film and TV Projects
Here are some of the movies and TV shows John Ridley has worked on:
Movies
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | U Turn | No | Yes | No | Co-written with Oliver Stone |
| Cold Around the Heart | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 1999 | Three Kings | No | Yes (Story) | No | Story by, screenplay by David O. Russell |
| 2002 | Undercover Brother | No | Yes | No | Co-written by Michael McCullers |
| 2012 | Red Tails | No | Yes | No | Story by, co-written by Aaron McGruder |
| 2013 | Jimi: All Is by My Side | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 12 Years a Slave | No | Yes | Yes (Executive) | Won Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | |
| 2016 | Ben-Hur | No | Yes | No | Co-written by Keith Clarke |
| 2017 | Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992 | Yes | No | Yes | A documentary film |
| 2021 | Needle in a Timestack | Yes | Yes | Yes (Executive) | |
| 2024 | Shirley | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Creator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Martin | No | Yes | No | No | Wrote 3 episodes |
| 1994 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | No | Yes | No | No | Wrote 2 episodes |
| 1995 | The John Larroquette Show | No | Yes | Yes (Co-producer) | No | Wrote 2 episodes |
| 1999–2004 | Third Watch | No | Yes | Yes (Consulting) | No | Wrote 8 episodes |
| 2003 | Platinum | Yes | Yes | Yes (Executive) | Yes | Directed one episode |
| 2015–2017 | American Crime | Yes | Yes | Yes (Executive) | Yes | Directed 5 episodes, wrote 8 episodes |
| 2017 | Guerrilla | Yes | Yes | Yes (Executive) | Yes | Directed 3 episodes, wrote 5 episodes |
| 2022 | Five Days at Memorial | Yes | Yes | Yes (Executive) | Yes | Directed 3 episodes, wrote 5 episodes |
Acting Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Martin | Man with car (uncredited) | "Hollywood Swinging: Part 2" |
| 1994 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Himself | "Will's Up a Dirt Road" |
Awards and Recognitions
John Ridley has won several awards for his work:
| Year | Title | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Cold Around the Heart | Urbanworld Film Festival Jury Prize for Best Director |
| 2013 | 12 Years a Slave | Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture |
| 2015–2017 | American Crime | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Director in a Drama Series |
Books and Graphic Novels
John Ridley has written several novels and graphic novels:
Novels
- Ridley, John. Stray Dogs. New York: Ballantine Books, 1997. ISBN: 978-0-345-41345-1
- Ridley, John. Love Is a Racket: A Novel. New York: Knopf, 1998. ISBN: 978-0-375-40142-8
- Ridley, John. Everybody Smokes in Hell. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999. ISBN: 978-0-375-40143-5
- Ridley, John. A Conversation with the Mann: A Novel. New York: Warner Books, 2002. ISBN: 978-0-446-52836-8
- Ridley, John. The Drift. New York: Knopf, 2002. ISBN: 978-0-375-41182-3
- Ridley, John. Those Who Walk in Darkness New York: Warner Books, 2003. ISBN: 978-0-446-53093-4
Graphic Novels
- Ridley, John, and Ben Oliver. The Authority: Human on the Inside. La Jolla, CA: WildStorm Productions, 2004. 978-1-401-20070-1
- Ridley, John. The Razor's Edge: Warblade #1-5. DC Comics. 2005.
- Ridley, John, Georges Jeanty, and Karl C. Story. The American Way. La Jolla, Calif: WildStorm/DC Comics, 2007. ISBN: 978-1-401-21256-8
- Ridley, John, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Andrea Cucchi, and José Villarrubia. The Other History of the DC Universe. DC Comics, 2021. ISBN 978-1-779-51197-3
Stage Plays
- Ridley, John. Ten Thousand Years. 2005 (world premiere).
See also
In Spanish: John Ridley para niños
