Brett Ratner
A director who turned slick, high-concept comedies and action films into consistent box office gold throughout the 2000s.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American filmmaker·Birthday: March 28·Generation X
Biography
Brett Ratner emerged from the Miami club scene as a music video director before making a seismic Hollywood entrance with 1998's 'Rush Hour.' The film's unexpected chemistry between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, orchestrated by Ratner's energetic pacing, spawned a lucrative franchise and cemented his reputation as a commercial hitmaker. He became a go-to director for studio tentpoles, steering the third 'X-Men' film to massive earnings and later producing gritty, award-winning fare like 'The Revenant.' His career, marked by brash confidence and an eye for broad appeal, reflects a specific era of studio filmmaking where personality-driven action-comedies ruled. Beyond directing, his RatPac Entertainment became a significant financing force, backing a diverse slate from 'The Lego Movie' to 'Birdman.'
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brett was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brett Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Brett's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Directed the 'Rush Hour' trilogy, which collectively grossed over $850 million worldwide.
- Produced Alejandro G. Iñárritu's 'The Revenant,' which won three Academy Awards including Best Director.
- Helmed 'X-Men: The Last Stand,' which opened to over $102 million domestically in 2006.
- Co-founded RatPac Entertainment, a film financing company that partnered with Warner Bros. on dozens of films.
Did You Know?
He directed the music video for Mariah Carey's 'Heartbreaker,' which featured a cameo from Jackie Chan.
He dropped out of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts after two years.
He was a close friend of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1980s and owns several of his works.
He served as the executive producer for the television series 'Prison Break.'
“I make movies for audiences, not for critics.”
