Bryan Singer biography 2
Bryan Singer, movie director and producer of a list of notable film and TV series including The Usual Suspects (1995) and X-Men (2000) currently resides in Los Angeles, USA and is father to his son Dashiell, born 2015. Other than his lifelong passion to make movies which began at the early age of just 16, Singer has developed an interest in a number of areas. He even brings some of his passions into his filmography. We have seen this in his direction of Valkyrie, a WWII thriller based on a plot to overthrow Nazi Germany. Singer has a keen interest in history and a number of his films have been based on real life events, bringing these stories to our screens.
Singer is also an aviation fanatic, again Singer brings this to his films, during the filming of Valkyrie he did stunt flights in an P-51 Mustang with Tom Cruise, what better way to get the information needed for the film than to experience it himself. In his private life, he continues to support and involve himself in aviation advancement as well as space ventures and exploration. He is one of the earlier founders of Virgin Galactic, a company dedicated to offering commercial space flights. Space has been a childhood fascination for Singer ever since being entranced by the apollo missions and first images of the planets from space, before only seen through telescopes. We are surprised that Singer has not lent his hand to a space-age movie, but perhaps the best is yet to come.
Singers love of aviation and history extends to his appreciation of Amelia Earhart, the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She was one of the first pilots to promote commercial air travel, akin to Singers interest in Virgin Galactic with commercial space flights. However on speaking to Singer, his respect for Earhart encompasses more than her ability to fly but extends to her outlook on life, seeing endless opportunities for women in a time where they were limited by their gender. Earhart’s achievements did an enormous service to the advancement of women’s rights and respect, and Singer himself is concerned with human rights, especially pertaining to equal opportunities and gay rights. Singer has funded charities and various initiatives contributing to the eradication of AIDS, HIV/AIDS awareness and support for people living with or affected by the disease. His movie Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) centred on the life of Freddie Mercury, the Queen lead who battled both with his sexuality and contraction of HIV with the associated stigma of the disease. Singer supports the Elton John AIDS Foundation which has been working to eliminate stigma, support innovative HIV prevention programmes and direct care services for people living with HIV/ AIDS globally. He is also concerned with gay rights and directly funded the attorneys who brought the gay marriage bill to the supreme court in America which was passed in June 2015. Singer believes in equality for everyone and through his philanthropist work he funds initiatives which he hopes make a difference to many lives.
It is possible his activist nature is in homage to his mother who has been an environmental activist for over 50 years. Having grown up watching Jacques Cousteau, an explorer, conservationist and filmmaker who studied the sea and life forms in water, Singer has developed a love of scuba diving. From the great barrier reef, to the Grand Cayman‘s he is enchanted by discovering and exploring the natural world in a peaceful way without disturbing it.
Singers interests vary but it is clear that he is in awe of the world; what has happened in it, what is below it, around it and how to make it a better place for those that live here, taking inspiration from great people. We hope to see more of his passions in his future movies which depict his unique take on the world, and hear more from his activist and philanthropist work.
