Biography
Sir Ridley Leighton Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English filmmaker. He directs films in the science fiction, crime, and historical epic genres with an atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. He ranks among the highest-grossing directors, with his films grossing a cumulative $5 billion worldwide. He has received many accolades, including the BAFTA Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement in 2018, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 and appointed a Knight Grand Cross by King Charles III in 2024. An alumnus of the Royal College of Art in London, Scott began his career in television as a designer and director before moving into advertising as a director of commercials. He made his film directorial debut with The Duellists (1977) and gained wider recognition with his next film, Alien (1979). Though his films range widely in setting and period, they showcase memorable imagery of urban environments, spanning 2nd-century Rome in Gladiator (2000) and its 2024 sequel, 12th-century Jerusalem in Kingdom of Heaven (2005), medieval England in Robin Hood (2010), ancient Memphis in Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), contempora…
Directed
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The Martian (2015) — Director
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Gladiator (2000) — Director
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Alien (1979) — Director
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Blade Runner (1982) — Director
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Prometheus (2012) — Director
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Alien: Covenant (2017) — Director
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Black Hawk Down (2001) — Director
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American Gangster (2007) — Director
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Hannibal (2001) — Director
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Kingdom of Heaven (2005) — Director
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Robin Hood (2010) — Director
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Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) — Director
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Gladiator II (2024) — Director
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Thelma & Louise (1991) — Director
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The Last Duel (2021) — Director
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House of Gucci (2021) — Director
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Body of Lies (2008) — Director
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Napoleon (2023) — Director
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All the Money in the World (2017) — Director
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Matchstick Men (2003) — Director
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The Counselor (2013) — Director
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G.I. Jane (1997) — Director
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Raised by Wolves (2020) — Director
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A Good Year (2006) — Director
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Legend (1985) — Director
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Black Rain (1989) — Director
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1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) — Director
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The Duellists (1977) — Director
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White Squall (1996) — Director
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Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) — Director
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Dope Thief (2025) — Director
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All the Invisible Children (2006) — Director
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Boy and Bicycle (1965) — Director
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The King of Ads (1991) — Director
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Thirty-Minute Theatre (1965) — Director
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Z-Cars (1962) — Director
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Cinema16: British Short Films (2003) — Director
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Adam Adamant Lives! (1966) — Director
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Half Hour Story (1967) — Director
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Le court des grands (2005) — Director
Also appeared in
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The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004) — Self
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Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007) — Self
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James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction (2018) — Self
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Keepers of the Covenant: Making 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' (2015) — Self
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Trespassing Bergman (2013) — Self
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The Beast Within: Making Alien (2003) — Self
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Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey (2003) — Self
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Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter (2015) — Self
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Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator' (2005) — Self
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Prophets of Science Fiction (2011) — Himself - Presenter
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The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus (2012) — Self
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The Alien Legacy (1999) — Self
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The Alien Saga (2002) — Self (archive footage)
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On the Edge of 'Blade Runner' (2000) — Self
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Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies (2017) — Self
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The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money (1996) — Self
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Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us (2005) — Self
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Film: The Living Record of Our Memory (2022) — Self
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Trumbull Land (2018) — Self (archive footage)
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One of the Missing (1968) — Unionist officer (uncredited)
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The Blade Runner Phenomenon (2021) — Self - Director (1982)
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The Directors (1999) — Self
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Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic (2019) — Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
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Breaking the Silence: The Making of Hannibal (2001) — Self
- Truth of the Situation: Making 'The Counselor' (2014) — Self
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The Real Robin Hood (2010) — Self
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L'Âge d'or de la pub (2023) — Self (archive footage)
- Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul (2001) — Self
- Film '72 (1971) — Self
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Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema (2005) — Self
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The Long Way Home: Making 'The Martian' (2016) — Self
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50 Films to See Before You Die (2006) — Self
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Black Rain: Making The Film (2006) — Self
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Giger's Alien (1979) — Self
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Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport (2000) — Self
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The Hollywood Greats (1977)
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Kulturzeit (1995) — self
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The Making of the Last Duel (2021) — Self
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Hollywood Halloween (1997) — Self
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Thelma & Louise: Born to Live (2025) — Self