<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Bryan Singer (September 15, 1965) is an American director, writer, and prroducer born in New York City, New York and raised in southern New Jersey in a Jewish family. He is well known for his directing work on the films X-Men, X2 and Superman Returns.

Singer attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School before studying film at the School of Visual Arts in New York and USC School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles. His experiences growing up as a Jewish teen later influenced his decision to produce and direct the film adaptation of the Stephen King novel Apt Pupil.

Career

While studying at USC, Singer met composer and editor John Ottman and producer Kenneth Kokin. Following his graduation, he collaborated with Ottoman on The Lion's Den a short film starring childhood friend Ethan Hawke. The film concerned a group of high school friends who later reunite only to discover their relationships have changed and they are no longer close.

Singer followed up with Public Access in 1993, written by high school friend Christopher McQuarrie. Ottoman edited the film and composed its score. Public Access won the 1993 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury prize.

Singer's next film, 1995's crime thriller The Usual Suspects was also written by McQuarrie about five criminals who meet in a police lineup. It starred Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne and Kevin Spacey with editing and music from Ottoman. The film won critical acclaim and several awards including a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for Spacey, the Saturn Awards for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film and Best Music , an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and two BAFTA awards for the screenplay and editing.

In 1998, Singer directed Apt Pupil which starred Brad Renfro and Ian McKellen. Despite some controversy which stemmed from charges that some of the actors were coerced into performing nude scenes, the film was not a box office success. His next film, however fared much better. In 2000 he took on X-Men which he wrote and directed. The cast included Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Singer had been previously approached by 20th Century Fox to direct the film but turned it down as he was unfamiliar with the story. He reconsidered after friend, Tom DeSanto persuaded him to read the comics. Singer decided to develop the story himself with the help of DeSanto and David Hayter. The film was a big success and won singer the Saturn Award for Best Direction.

In 2001, Singer was slated to help DeSanto produce Battlestar Galactica for FOX. Singer was supposed to direct the miniseries but the demands of X2 forced him to back out. After FOX lost interest, Studio USA took the series to the Sci Fi Channel instead.

X2 was filmed in Canada in 2002 and released in 2003. The screenplay was written by Hayter, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. The film was considered by many to be even better than the first and was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form.

Fox did not choose to work with Singer on the third X-Men film, choosing Brett Ratner instead. Singer worked on the Sci Fi Channel miniseries The Triangle as executive producer and writer with Independence Day writer Dean Devlin and Farscape writer Rockne S. O'Bannon. Warner Brothers chose singer to work on Superman's big screen return in Superman Returns. Dougherty and Harris worked on the screenplay. The film starred Brandon Routh as Superman and Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor. Critics and fans were divided on the film. Singer is scheduled to direct the sequel, Superman: The Man of Steel.

Singer has served as executive producer on the FOX medical drama House M.D. for which he directed two episodes. He also made a cameo appearance as a tactical officer in Star Trek: Nemesis.

Upcoming projects include You Want Me to Kill Him?, Trick 'r Treat and The Mayor of Castro Street.

External Links

• Bryan Singer at Star Pulse
• Bryan Singer at Internet Movie Database
• Bryan Singer at Memory Alpha
• BBC Interview
• Suicide Girls Interview