Andy Tennant
About
Biography
Biography
Andy Tennant directed a series of high-profile romantic comedies in the 1990s and 2000s, starring some of the most prominent leading ladies of his day: Salma Hayek in "Fools Rush In" (1997), Drew Barrymore in "Ever After" (1998), and Reese Witherspoon in "Sweet Home Alabama" (2002). In his days as an aspiring actor, the Chicago native landed a place in the choruses of 1970s musicals "Grease " and "Grease 2," but turned his attention first to writing and then directing. Tennant helmed episodes of the television spinoff of John Hughes's "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" as well as the first four episodes of the Bueller-like "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." However, it was the made-for-TV "The Amy Fisher Story," with Barrymore in the title role as the real-life teen shooter, that put Tennant on the map and eventually got him his first feature assignment as a director. That movie, "It Takes Two," may have been something less than a smash hit, but it would serve as the romantic-comedy template for the bulk of his subsequent films. Not only did Tennant score box office success with actresses, but his collaboration with Will Smith in "Hitch," about a "date doctor" who struggles with his own love life, had the highest-grossing opening weekend of any romantic comedy ever.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1978
Made feature film debut as a dancer in "Grease"
1979
Played the part of Babyface in Steven Spielberg's "1941"
1982
Reprised his greaser role in "Grease 2"
1992
Helmed the well-received drama "Keep the Change" (TNT)
1993
Directed "The Amy Fisher Story" (ABC) with Drew Barrymore in the title role
1995
Directed several episodes of the popular sci-fi series "Sliders (aired on Fox and the Sci-Fi Channel)
1995
Feature directorial debut with "It Takes Two" starring the Olsen twins
1997
Helmed the romantic comedy "Fools Rush In" starring Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry
1998
Directed Drew Barrymore in the Cinderella fairy tale "Ever After"
1999
Directed Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat in "Anna and the King"
2002
Helmed the romantic comedy "Sweet Home Alabama" starring Reese Witherspoon
2005
Directed Will Smith in the comedy "Hitch"
2008
Directed (also co-wrote) Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson in the adventure film, "Fool's Gold"
2010
Directed the action comedy, "The Bounty Hunter," starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler
