Andrew Davis: Biography

Before gaining recognition as a director of action films, Andrew Davis worked as a TV and movie cameraman, a journalist, and a photographer. Davis entered Hollywood in 1969 as an assistant to cinematographer Haskell Wexler while filming Medium Cool. In 1972, he acted as the cinematographer for two films, Private Parts and Hit Man, and he spent much of the remainder of the decade working on a number of films in this capacity. In 1977, Davis co-wrote, produced, and directed his first feature film, Stony Island. Davis' first work on action films was as the director of the Chuck Norris vehicle Code of Silence (1985). He scored his first major success when he co-wrote and directed another action movie, Above the Law, starring newcomer Steven Seagal; in 1992, he teamed with Seagal for a second time on the action-packed box-office hit Under Siege. The following year, Davis once again thrilled audiences with the tense, spectacular movie adaptation of the '60s TV serial The Fugitive, starring Harrison Ford. A huge critical and commercial success, it was hailed as one of the best films of the year. In contrast, Davis' subsequent action film, Chain Reaction (1996), was a colossal flop. He then switched gears for A Perfect Murder, a 1998 re-make of Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder. Starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Michael Douglas, the film was a great disappointment, leading some observers to opine that perhaps Davis should entertain a return to the action genre. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide