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 directed 1998's 'Rush Hour,' a film whose unexpected chemistry between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, driven by Ratner's energetic pacing, launched a lucrative franchise. He steered the third 'X-Men' film to massive earnings and later produced 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.' Ratner emerged from the Miami club scene as a music video director before his Hollywood entrance.
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.'
