Rupert Wainwright


Rupert Wainwright is an English film and television director, writer, and actor.
His feature Stigmata starring Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne and Jonathan Pryce, is an original vision of a classical horror film blended with a personal search for faith. Praised for its striking imagery, Stigmata opened #1 in the US and made over $100 million worldwide.
The Fog starring Tom Welling, Maggie Grace and Selma Blair also opened #1 in theatres in the US. The Sadness of Sex, a festival favorite, was described by the Los Angeles Times as “an inspired tour de force”, and Wainwright’s debut feature Blank Check has been described as a kids' favorite.
Born in England, Wainwright studied at Oxford University while acting in British films such as Another Country and Dreamchild. He attended UCLA on a Fulbright scholarship where he started directing music videos, most notably for NWA, Michael Jackson and MC Hammer. His commercial collaborations include Reebok, Gatorade, Sprite, Footlocker ATT etc., and he has directed winning bid films for the Olympics and FIFA World Cup.
Wainwright has won two Grand Effies, several MTV Video Music Awards, several Cannes Gold Dolphins and a Grammy.
Wainwright also starred in an episode of Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo where Patti Stanger was tasked with finding him a potential romantic partner.

Music videos

Wainwright directed/produced several music videos for M.C. Hammer which contributed to him becoming a worldwide phenomenon. He has also worked with artists such as N.W.A and Michael Jackson, winning five MTV Video Music Awards, a Grammy Award and several others.
Wainwright also directed Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie, along with John Oetjen. The film won Hammer, Wainwright and Oetjen a Grammy for Best Music Video, Long Form at the 33rd Grammy Awards.