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Renny Harlin

Renny HarlinAKA Renny Lauri Mauritz Harjola

Born: 15-Mar-1959
Birthplace: Riihimaki, Finland

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Film Director, Film/TV Producer

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: The Adventures of Ford Fairlane

Renny Harlin is the most successful Finnish director in Hollywood history. He directed Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Die Hard 2, and Cliffhanger, one of Sylvester Stallone's last enjoyable action flicks. Harlin has also made some of the worst films of the 1990s and 2000s. His bombs include The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Cutthroat Island, Driven, and Exorcist: The Beginning.

In his native Finland, Harlin grew up with a video camera, and was making movies by the age of 12. He later made short films and documentaries, and in his mid-20s he wrote, directed, and did behind-the-scenes scut-work for Arctic Heat (1986), briefly released in the US as Born American. His first American film was Prison (1988), a poorly-received thriller. In the mid-1990s, he made two films with his then-wife Geena Davis, Cutthroat Island and The Long Kiss Goodnight, effectively ending her movie career and their marriage. It probably didn't help when Davis' personal assistant had Harlin's child a few months before Harlin and Davis finalized their divorce.

Harlin was the third director of the 2004 prequel Exorcist: The Beginning, taking over after John Frankenheimer died and Paul Schrader was fired. Schrader had actually completed principal photography when the studio brought in Harlin and basically started over. In an odd move, the studio eventually released both directors' films, and both bombed.

Girlfriend: Laura Dern (actress, dated 1991)
Girlfriend: Tarja Smura (former Miss Finland)
Wife: Geena Davis (actress, m. 18-Sep-1993, div. 1998)
Mistress: Tiffany Browne (Davis' personal assistant, dated 1996-97, one son)
Son: (b. Aug-1997 to Tiffany Browne)
Girlfriend: Sarah Thackray (reporter, dated 2001)

    FILMOGRAPHY AS DIRECTOR
    Skiptrace (17-Jul-2016)
    The Legend of Hercules (8-Jan-2014)
    Devil's Pass (28-Feb-2013)
    5 Days of War (14-Apr-2011)
    12 Rounds (19-Mar-2009)
    Cleaner (11-Sep-2007)
    The Covenant (8-Sep-2006)
    Exorcist: The Beginning (18-Aug-2004)
    Mindhunters (19-Mar-2004)
    Driven (16-Apr-2001)
    Deep Blue Sea (26-Jul-1999)
    The Long Kiss Goodnight (11-Oct-1996)
    Cutthroat Island (22-Dec-1995)
    Cliffhanger (28-May-1993)
    The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (11-Jul-1990)
    Die Hard 2 (4-Jul-1990)
    Prison (14-Apr-1989)
    A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (19-Aug-1988)
    Born American (4-Apr-1986)

    FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
    Driven (16-Apr-2001)

Official Website:
http://www.rennyharlin.com/


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