Biography
The only child to Jewish parents in Miami, FL, Brett Ratner was accepted to N.Y.U. at the age of 16. Attending the Tisch School for the Arts, he received funding from
Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment for his senior project Whatever Happened to Mason Reese?, a documentary about a child star. After forming a friendship with Def Jam producer
Russell Simmons, Ratner began directing music videos for stars such as Jay-Z,
Mariah Carey, and
Madonna. It was Simmons who helped him get his first big break, directing
Money Talks with
Chris Tucker and
Charlie Sheen. Ratner worked with Tucker again for his sophomore effort,
Rush Hour, a
Jackie Chan comedy that broke box-office records for New Line Cinema. A brief departure into romantic comedy with
The Family Man was not very well received, but the wild success of
Rush Hour 2 brought him back into the limelight, and he soon landed the director's chair for
The Silence of the Lambs prequel
Red Dragon. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide