John Ridley IV[1](born October 1, 1964)[2]is an American screenwriter, television director, novelist, and showrunner, known for12 Years a Slave,for which he won anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.He is also the creator and showrunner of theanthology seriesAmerican Crime.In 2017 he directed thedocumentary filmLet It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992.
John Ridley | |
|---|---|
 Ridley in 2013 | |
| Born | John Ridley IV October 1, 1964 |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter Novelist Television writer Television director |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Notable work | 12 Years a Slave American Crime |
| Spouse | Gayle Ridley |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
editRidley was born inMilwaukee,Wisconsin,[3]and was raised from the age of seven inMequon, Wisconsin,[4][5]with anophthalmologistfather, John Ridley, III, and a mother, Terry Ridley, who was a special education teacher[1]forMilwaukee Public Schools.[4][6]He has two sisters and is the middle sibling.[4]
Ridley graduated fromHomestead High SchoolinMequon, Wisconsinin 1982.[4]He enrolled inIndiana Universitybut transferred toNew York University.[4]There, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in East Asian languages. The subject wasn't applicable to his career, but it sparked his intellectual interests.[7]Ridley isChristian.[8]
Career
editFollowing college, Ridley spent a year living and traveling in Japan.[7]Then, he returned to New York and began performingstandup comedyin New York City, and he made appearances onLate Night with David LettermanandThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.[4]Moving toLos Angelesin 1990, he began writing for such televisionsitcomsasMartin,The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,andThe John Larroquette Show.[4] After both writing and directing his film debut, the 1997 crime thrillerCold Around the Heart,he andOliver Stoneco-adapted Ridley's first novel,Stray Dogs(still unpublished when Stone bought the rights[9]) into the 1997 Stone-directed filmU Turn,which was released slightly earlier thanCold Around the Heart.Ridley went on to write the novelsLove Is a RacketandEverybody Smokes in Hell.His novelSpoils of Warwas adapted into the 1999David O. Russell-directedThree Kings.Ridley's original script was rewritten by Russell and Ridley, with Ridley receiving a "story by" credit negotiated among himself, Russell, and the releasing studio,Warner Bros.[9]Ridley then became a writer and a supervising producer on theNBCcrime dramaThird Watch.His other novels areThe Drift,Those Who Walk in Darkness,andA Conversation with the Mann.[4]He also wrote thegraphic novelThe American Way.[10][11]
From 2000 to 2010, he was a commentator and blogger forNPR.[12]His blog wasVisible Man,a play onRalph Ellison'sInvisible Man.[13]In 2003, Ridley inked a one-year overall deal withUniversal Network Television.[14]
His work as screenwriter also includes12 Years a Slave,[15]Red Tails,andUndercover Brother.His script for12 Years a Slavewon theAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay,[16]making Ridley the secondAfrican Americanto win the award, afterGeoffrey S. Fletcher(forPrecious,based on the novelPushbySapphire).[15][17]
In April 2015, Ridley was developing anABCtelevision series involving an existingMarvel Comicscharacter.[18]However, by December 2019, the project was cancelled due toMarvel Televisionfolding intoMarvel Studios.[19]Ridley later revealed that his cancelled project would have been a version ofEternals,which was instead developed as an unrelated movie directed byChloé Zhao.[20]
On April 16, 2018, it was announced that Ridley would direct and write an adaptation of his graphic novelThe American Wayproduced byBlumhouse Productions.[21]
On June 4, 2018, it was announced that Ridley would direct a feature film adaptation of theRobert Silverbergshort story,Needle in a Timestackproduced byBron Studios.The film featured performances fromLeslie Odom Jr.,Freida Pinto,Cynthia Erivo,andOrlando Bloom.[22]
In 2021, Ridley began writing a number of series forDC Comics.The series include a newBatmanseries 'The Next Batman' as part of the company's line-wide event 'Future State', and a 5-issue series 'The Other History of the DC Universe' a text-based story about the history of the non-white, non-American DC heroes such asBlack LightningandKatana.
In May 2021, Marvel Comics announced that Ridley will writeBlack Panthercomics.[23]
Controversy
editIn December 2007, during theWriters Guild of America strikeagainst the major production studios, Ridley opted for WGA membership as a dues-paying non-member, or "fi-core," making him eligible to submit scripts to the studios while the strike was ongoing.[24]In an op-ed published in theLos Angeles Times,Ridley explained: "After 15 years of being told shut up, sit down and be part of thegroupthink,I decided I did not belong in the guild. The guild has a way to option out. I took the option. "[25]Ridley's screenplay for12 Years a Slavewas thus ineligible for aWriters Guild of America Award.[26]
Personal life
editRidley is married to wife Gayle, a formerscript supervisor.[5][9]They have two children.[27]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | U Turn | No | Yes | No | Co-written withOliver Stone |
| Cold Around the Heart | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 1999 | Three Kings | No | Story | No | Story by, screenplay byDavid O. Russell |
| 2002 | Undercover Brother | No | Yes | No | Co-written byMichael McCullers |
| 2012 | Red Tails | No | Yes | No | Story by, co-written byAaron McGruder |
| 2013 | Jimi: All Is by My Side | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 12 Years a Slave | No | Yes | Executive | Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated -BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated -Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay | |
| 2016 | Ben-Hur | No | Yes | No | Co-written by Keith Clarke |
| 2017 | Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992 | Yes | No | Yes | Documentary |
| 2021 | Needle in a Timestack | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
| 2024 | Shirley | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Creator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Martin | No | Yes | No | No | 3 episodes |
| 1994 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | No | Yes | No | No | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | The John Larroquette Show | No | Yes | Co-producer | No | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | The Show | No | Yes | Consulting | No | Episode: "Tom and Them" |
| 1998 | Team Knight Rider | No | Yes | No | No | Episode: "E.M.P." |
| 1999 | Trinity | No | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Having Trouble with the Language" |
| 1999–2004 | Third Watch | No | Yes | Consulting | No | 8 episodes |
| 2003 | Platinum | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Directed episode: "Peace" |
| Static Shock | No | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Toys in the Hood" | |
| 2004 | Justice League | No | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Starcrossed: Part II" |
| 2005 | Barbershop: The Series | Yes | Yes | Executive | No | Also developer; Directed 3 episodes, wrote 7 episodes |
| 2009 | The Wanda Sykes Show | No | No | Executive | No | |
| 2015–2017 | American Crime | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Directed 5 episodes, wrote 8 episodes |
| 2017 | Guerrilla | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Directed 3 episodes, wrote 5 episodes |
| 2019 | Godfather of Harlem | Yes | No | No | No | Episode: "By Whatever Means Necessary" |
| 2022 | Five Days at Memorial | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Directed 3 episodes, wrote 5 episodes |
Acting credits
| 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" |
| 2016 | Lady Dynamite | Himself | "White Trash" |
Awards and nominations
editWorks and publications
editNovels
edit- Ridley, John.Stray Dogs.New York: Ballantine Books, 1997.ISBN978-0-345-41345-1
- Ridley, John.Love Is a Racket: A Novel.New York: Knopf, 1998.ISBN978-0-375-40142-8
- Ridley, John.Everybody Smokes in Hell.New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999.ISBN978-0-375-40143-5
- Ridley, John.A Conversation with the Mann: A Novel.New York: Warner Books, 2002.ISBN978-0-446-52836-8
- Ridley, John.The Drift.New York: Knopf, 2002.ISBN978-0-375-41182-3
- Ridley, John.Those Who Walk in DarknessNew York: Warner Books, 2003.ISBN978-0-446-53093-4
- Ridley, John, and Patricia R. Floyd.What Fire Cannot Burn.Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, 2011, 2007.ISBN978-1-456-10151-0
Graphic novels
edit- 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.ISBN978-1-401-21256-8
- 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
edit- Ridley, John.Ten Thousand Years.2005 (world premiere).
Essays
edit- Ridley, John (December 2006)."The Manifesto of Ascendancy for the Modern American Nigger".Esquire.Vol. 146, no. 6. Archived fromthe originalon February 8, 2015.RetrievedAugust 17,2024.
References
edit- ^abReardon, Patrick T. (September 24, 1998)."John Ridley's Childhood Was Sunny, But His Novels Explore A Dark World".Chicago Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on January 13, 2016.RetrievedMarch 25,2015.
- ^"John Ridley - Box Office".RetrievedMarch 22,2023.
- ^Gray, Susan Kim, ed. (1999).Writers on Directors.Watson-Guptill Publications.p. 66.
JOHN RIDLEY Born 1965 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- ^abcdefghChandler, Kurt (January 31, 2008)."How to be a Famous Hollywood Writer".Milwaukee Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon November 26, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 18,2015.
- ^abDudek, Duane (January 16, 2014)."Mequon native Ridley talks Oscar nominations for '12 Years A Slave'".Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 18,2015.
- ^Bence, Susan (4 March 2014)."Oscar Winner John Ridley's Father Talks About Life Before Desegregation"(Audio).WUWMMilwaukee.Archivedfrom the original on January 28, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 18,2015.Audioarchivedon January 28, 2015.
- ^ab"Ridley, John | Encyclopedia".encyclopedia.Retrieved2020-05-31.
- ^Zeitchik, Steven,"A 'Ben-Hur' for our time",Portland Press Herald,August 21, 2016: "Downey and Burnett are staunch Catholics; Ridley is also a devout Christian, Huston and Bekmambetov, who was raised in a communist country, are more secular; Daniel and MGM principal Gary Barber are Jewish."
- ^abc"John Ridley, Easy Writer".Entertainment Weekly.October 8, 1999.Archivedfrom the original on February 28, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 18,2015.
- ^Gross, Terry (May 2, 2007)."A Disenchanted Look at 'The American Way'"(Audio interview).Fresh Air.NPR.Archivedfrom the original on January 22, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 18,2015.
- ^"John Ridley: On graphic novels and connecting art with social justice in Milwaukee".The Milwaukee Independent.2019-11-19.
- ^"Stories By John Ridley".NPR. March 26, 2019.
- ^"FAQ for John Ridley's Visible Man".NPR. July 18, 2007.RetrievedMarch 26,2019.
- ^Adalian, Josef (2003-08-13)."U TV makes home for 'Brother'".Variety.Retrieved2021-11-02.
- ^abCieply, Michael; Barnes, Brooks (March 2, 2014)."A Landmark Oscar Win for '12 Years a Slave'".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on March 26, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 18,2015.
- ^Shattuck, Kathryn (January 16, 2014)."What the Writer Had to Edit From '12 Years a Slave'".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on January 18, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 18,2015.
- ^Lee, Chris (March 2, 2014)."Oscars 2014: '12 Years a Slave' wins for adapted screenplay".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on February 28, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 18,2015.
- ^Hibbard, James (April 17, 2015)."Marvel teaming with John Ridley for mysterious superhero project — exclusive".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on October 27, 2015.RetrievedDecember 19,2015.
- ^Goldberg, Lesley (December 8, 2019)."Marvel TV Division Folded Into Studio Unit, Layoffs Expected".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2019.RetrievedDecember 11,2019.
- ^Club, Comic Book (2024-01-03)."John Ridley's Scrapped Marvel-ABC TV Show Was An Eternals Series".Comic Book Club.Retrieved2024-01-03.
- ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 16, 2018)."John Ridley To Write, Direct Blumhouse Superhero Film 'The American Way'".Deadline.RetrievedApril 17,2018.
- ^N'Duka, Amanda (June 4, 2018)."Leslie Odom Jr., Freida Pinto, Cynthia Erivo, Orlando Bloom & BRON Studios Join John Ridley's 'Needle In A Timestack'".Deadline.RetrievedJune 5,2018.
- ^Gustines, George Gene (2021-05-18)."Marvel Announces a New Black Panther Series".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2021-05-18.
- ^Seitzman, Michael (January 4, 2008)."What" Fi-Core "Really Means".The Huffington Post.RetrievedMarch 26,2019.
- ^Ridley, John (January 8, 2008)."John Ridley goes fi-core".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMarch 26,2019.
- ^McNary, Dave (January 9, 2014)."Bitterness of WGA Strike Echoed in Exclusion of '12 Years a Slave'".Variety.RetrievedMarch 26,2019.
- ^Ridley inThompson, Anne(October 16, 2013)."Oscar-Winner John Ridley Talks Writing '12 Years a Slave' and Directing Hendrix Biopic 'All Is By My Side'".Indiewire.Archivedfrom the original on October 31, 2014.
At the end of the year, when all these things are happening and you've got two kids, a lot of what you see gets determined by what gets put in front of you.
Further reading
edit- Gennusa, Chris R. "John Ridley: Burnt Noir."Creative Screenwriting.Winter 1997, v. 4 n.4, pp. 33–38
External links
edit- Archived pages of defunctofficial site:December 1, 2006 – March 1, 2007,January 8 – April 12, 2007,March 1 – August 28, 2007(final archived page other than contact page).
- John RidleyatIMDb
- John RidleyatDC Comics.