English film director
Before Simon West started his feature film directorial career with Con Air , he directed TV commercials, such as the Budweiser advert with the dancing ants.
Each of his first two films starred one of the leads of Face/Off : Nicolas Cage in Con Air and John Travolta in The Generals Daughter.
"Black Hawk Down" was originally the idea of West who urged producer Jerry Bruckheimer to obtain the rights of the book with a view to directing it himself. However, West abandoned the project to direct "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider". Ridley Scott then directed "Black Hawk Down".
One of 115 people invited to join AMPAS in 2007.
He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2015 Queens Birthday Honours List (Military Division) for his services to Defence. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Artillery.
Making a film is like trying to pass a handful of water between a,thousand people. By the time the last person receives it you are lucky,if there is still one drop left of the original idea. .
