Ryan Coogler Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 10 in |
Weight | 74 kg |
Date of Birth | May 23, 1986 |
Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
Spouse | Zinzi Evans |
Ryan Coogler has steadily established himself as one of the most promising directors in Hollywood. He has used his experience and in-depth knowledge of the African-American culture and society to make dynamic and multi-faceted movies. He was highly lauded for the use of African heritage in the Marvel blockbuster, Black Panther. Time magazine decided to feature him in their list of 30 People Under 30 Changing the World in 2013.
Born Name
Ryan Kyle Coogler
Nick Name
Ryan
Sun Sign
Gemini
Born Place
Oakland, California, United States
Nationality
Education
Ryan Coogler went to Saint Mary’s College High School, a private Catholic school in Albany, California. After graduating from high school, he got enrolled at the Saint Mary’s College of California on a football scholarship.
After the football program was canceled at Saint Mary’s in March 2004, he earned a football scholarship from California State University, Sacramento and graduated with a major in Finance.
Later, he went to the USC School of Cinematic Arts to improve his filmmaking skills.
Occupation
Film Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Family
- Father –Â Ira Coogler (Juvenile Hall Probation Counselor)
- Mother –Â Joselyn Thomas (Community Organizer)
- Siblings – Noah Coogler (Brother), Keenan Coogler (Brother) (Actor)
- Others – Clarence Thomas (Uncle) (Third-Generation Oakland Longshoreman and Former Secretary Treasurer of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union)
Manager
Ryan Coogler is represented by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 10 in or 178 cm
Weight
74 kg or 163 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Ryan Coogler has dated –
- Zinzi Evans (2016-Present) – In 2016, Ryan Coogler got married to his longtime girlfriend, Zinzi Evans. Zinzi had played a key role in Coogler’s rise. While he was studying in college, she saved some money and brought Final Draft software for him. This software is used for screenwriting and is far better than MS Word, on which it is difficult to get the right format for screenwriting.
Race / Ethnicity
Black
He has African-American ancestry.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Bushy Beard
Best Known For
- Co-writing and directing the action movie, Creed, which was the 7th installment in the iconic Rocky movie series
- Having co-written and directed the superhero action movie, Black Panther. The movie was an immense commercial hit and broke several box-office collection records. He was awarded Best Director and Best Writing gongs at the 44th Saturn Awards for his work in the movie.
First TV Show
In 2013, Ryan Coogler made his first TV show appearance on the talk show, Democracy Now!
Ryan Coogler Facts
- When he was 8 years old, his family decided to shift from Oakland to Richmond, California.
- While growing up, apart from football, Coogler also excelled in track events.
- He was good at science and maths while he was studying in high school.
- He was introduced to screenwriting at the Saint Mary’s College of California. The football players at the college were encouraged to study creative writing.
- His instructor for the creative writing course praised his writing style and skills and advised him to take up screenwriting.
- While studying at California State University, he tried to take as many film classes as possible while also coping with the rigorous demands of the college football.
- He got his first taste of filmmaking while he was studying at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He had directed 4 short movies and 3 out of them won nominations or popular awards.
- He got his first opportunity to write and direct a feature movie after Forest Whitaker asked him to work on the biographical drama movie, Fruitvale Station.
- Coogler decided to hire Michael B. Jordan for the lead role in Fruitvale Station. This was one of the several projects in which Coogler would cast Jordan in including the role of lead antagonist in Black Panther.
- After he was hired to work on Creed, he revealed that his father was a huge fan of the Rocky movie franchise. He also revealed that his father used to make him watch Rocky II before every big sporting event.
- In 2016, he was made a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
- Since the age of 21, he has worked as a counselor with incarcerated youth at San Francisco’s Juvenile Hall. His father has also worked in the same capacity.
- Coogler is the founding member of the Blackout For Human Rights campaign which aims to tackle incidents of racial and human rights violations all over the United States.
- In September 2018, it was announced that LeBron James had signed Ryan Coogler to work as a producer on his Space Jam sequel.
- He gave his brother Keenan Coogler his theatrical debut by casting him in his highly acclaimed movie, Fruitvale Station.
- Ryan Coogler doesn’t have an official social media account.
Featured Image by Gage Skidmore / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0