Brett Ratner born March 28, 1969 is an American film director, film producer and music video director. He is best known for directing the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist.  He was also a producer on the Fox drama series, Prison Break.

Ratner grew up in Miami Beach, Florida, the only child of a famous Jewish socialite mother, Maria Presman who was the daughter of Eastern European Jews who lived in Cuba before moving to Florida in 1960s.  His father was Ronald Ratner, the son of a wealthy Miami businessman.  Ratner’s parents married when he was in his senior year of high school, and his father died in 2006.  Ratner told Aventura Business Monthly in a May 2011 cover story interview that he really did not know his biological father and that he considers Alvin Manik who opened the famous Forge restaurant in Miami Beach to be his dad, the one who raised him.

He attended high school in Israel, graduated in 1986 from Miami Beach Senior High School, and was President of the Leo Club in 1986.  He was also a member of the “fraternity” Royal Palm.  He attended New York University film school graduating in 1990 currently lives in a $3.6 M house in Beverly Hills.  He cites the 1980 film Raging Bull as his inspiration to enter the world of film.  Ratner is also a good friend of Def Jam mogul Russell Simmons and he has directed music videos for many rap stars.

Ratner got his start by directing rap and hip-hop videos for his friend Russell Simmons.  When the original director of Money Talks (1997) had to be replaced, Russell Simmons recommended him.  Ratner had directed several music videos and one film, the 1997 action comedy Money Talks, before reaching commercial success with the action-comedy Rush Hour (1998), starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, both of whom reunited with Ratner for two sequels, Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007).  Ratner was under consideration to direct X-Men (2000) and Superman Returns (2006), although Bryan Singer eventually directed both.  After Singer left the X-Men franchise to direct Superman Returns, Ratner became director of X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).

In May 2008, it was announced that Ratner would be directing the upcoming long in-development Beverly Hills Cop IV.  He also edited the English version of the Indian film Kites, starring Indian superstar Hrithik Roshan and Mexican actress Bárbara Mori.  Ratner directed and served as an executive producer on the 2011 CBS comedy-drama television series CHAOS.  In the same year, Ratner also directed Tower Heist.  In May 2011, it was announced that Ratner signed on to direct The 39 Clues, the live-action adaptation of the young-adult book series.  He ranked #81 on Premiere’s 2003 annual Power 100 List.  He did not rank on the 2004 list.

On August 4, 2011, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Ratner would be producing the 84th Academy Awards with Don Mischer.   However, on November 8, 2011, Ratner resigned as producer of the 84th Academy Awards, after jokingly making the comment rehearsing is for fags while being interviewed by shock jock Howard Stern on The Howard Stern Show.  Actor Eddie Murphy, who had been lined up to host the show, dropped from his position as well upon Ratner’s departure.

Brett Ratner Photo Gallery

Brett Ratner, director of Tower Heist and Rush Hour movies will no longer be producing the 2012 Oscar show.  Ratner stepped down from his role, after growing controversy over remarks he had made over the weekend, specifically suggesting that rehearsal is for fags.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) released a statement overnight, confirming that Ratner had resigned and Academy President Tom Sherak said that he did the right thing for the Academy and for himself.  According to him, words have meaning and they have consequences.  He said that Brett is a good person but his comments were unacceptable adding that they all hope that will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks regardless of the intent.

In an open letter, Ratner apologized yet again and he wrote that over the last few days he had gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people he admire most in the industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things he said in a number of recent media appearances.  He extended his apology publicly and unreservedly to everyone he has hurt and offended.  As difficult as the last few days have been for him, he said that they cannot compare to the experience of any young man or woman who has been the target of offensive slurs or derogatory comments.  In addition, they pale in comparison to what any gay, lesbian, or transgender individual must deal with as they confront the many inequalities that continue to plague the world.

Brett Ratner said that so many artists and craftspeople in the business are members of the LGBT community, and it pains him deeply that he may have hurt them.  He said he should have known that all along but at least he knew it now adding that words do matter.  According to him, having love in your heart does not count for much if what comes out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted.  With this in mind and to all those who understandably feel that apologies are not enough, he pleaded and let people know that he would be taking real action over the coming weeks and months in an effort to do everything he can both professionally and personally to help stamp out the kind of thoughtless bigotry he has so foolishly perpetuated.

He said that as a first step, he called Tom Sherak that morning and resigned as a producer of the 84th Academy Awards telecast.  According to him, being asked to help put on the Oscar show was the proudest moment of his career.  However, as painful as that for him, it would be worse if his association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents.

In the letter, he also said that he is grateful to GLAAD for engaging him in a dialogue about what they can do together to increase awareness of the important and troubling issues this episode has raised and he look forward to working with them.  He said that he is incredibly lucky to have a career in that business that he love with all of his heart and to be able to work alongside so many of his heroes.  According to him, he deeply regrets his actions and he is determined to learn from that experience.