Simon West (born 1961) is an English-born America film director. Born in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, Simon West originally directed adverts, including a commercial for Budweiser. His film directing career started when he directed Con Air in 1997.

Early career

West began his career in 1981 when he became a film editor with the BBC in London. During a four year tenure at the BBC, West was involved with a number of award-winning productions including the documentary series Strangeways Prison and the drama series Bleak House both of which won awards from the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Mr. West's career took off in 1985 when he began freelancing as a director and he was awarded a grant from the Arts Council of Great Britain to write and direct the film entitled Dolly Mixtures. He was subsequently signed to Limelight London to direct music videos and commercials. In 1987 he won Best Video at the Montreux Music Festival for Mel and Kim's Respectable. He also directed the video for Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" in the same year.

With a flourishing commercial career, West relocated to Los Angeles offices of Limelight in 1991. Moving to Pilot pictures in 1992, he received a Clio Award for Little Caesar's Airplane and a Golden Lion Award for Little Caesar's "Italian Feast."

West joined Propaganda Films in 1993 with a roster of credits including McDonalds, Sprite, AT&T, Ford, Miller Beer and Budweiser. His most famous commercial was a spot for Pepsi where a little boy sucks himself into a Pepsi bottle. The ad ran during the Super Bowl and was USA Today's highest rated commercial for that year.

1990s to today

In 1997, he directed the international blockbuster Con Air for Jerry Bruckheimer starring Nicolas Cage and John Malkovich and followed that up in 1999 with The General's Daughter starring John Travolta.

In 2001, he directed Lara Croft : Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie and served as an executive producer on the Oscar nominated Black Hawk Down.

In 2003, he was credited as an executive producer for the critically acclaimed Fox show, Keen Eddie, also serving as director for the pilot and second episode.

In 2005, he directed the pilot for the Jerry Bruckheimer produced CBS show Close to Home, which he followed in 2006 with the Screen Gems thriller, When a Stranger Calls.

2006 (Split Decision): Steven Eckholdt (Congressman Doug Westin on "The West Wing"), Susan Walters (Meg Kramer on Point Pleasant), Jessica Lucas (Sue Miller on "Life As We Know It") and Alona Tal (Meg Manning on "Veronica Mars") have all joined the cast of The CW drama pilot, a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl (Jessy Schram) whose life is told in dual tracks based on her decision to sit with the geeks vs. the popular kids on the first day of school. Eckholdt and Walters will play Ted and Dede respectively with Lucas as Heather, a cheerleader who's part of the popular crowd, and Tal as Bex, who's part of the not-so-popular group. Vanessa Lengies also stars in the CBS Paramount Network Television-based hour, which comes from creator Liz Tigelaar with Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent and Todd Garner serving as executive producers. Simon West is directing.

In 2009, Mark Valley has been tapped as the lead in Fox's drama pilot "Human Target" from director Simon West. "Target," from WBTV, DC Comics and McG's Wonderland, is based on the DC Comics title and centers on Christopher Chance (Valley), a mysterious security freelancer who assumes the identities of those in danger, becoming the "human target" for his clients. [346282]

Selected filmography

• When a Stranger Calls (2006)
• Close to Home (pilot) (2005)
• Keen Eddie (executive producer) (2003)
• Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
• The General's Daughter (1999)
• Con Air (1997)

External links