Ridley went to London's Royal College of Art, and while there, he branched out into filmmaking with the short, 'Boy on a Bicycle', which featured his younger brother Tony and their father.

After completing his education, he became a set designer for the BBC in the early 1960s, and was eventually promoted to director of such popular BBC series as the police adventure, 'Z Cars'.

With the establishment of his own company, Ridley Scott Associates, he was involved in some of the most inventive European TV adverts of the 1970s and, over a period of ten years, he directed more than 2,000 adverts, marking him as one of the most prolific ad makers.

Having tackled those challenges, he made the transition to the big screen, when he directed 1977's 'The Duellists', which won the Jury Prize for Best First Feature at the Cannes Film Festival.

Further success followed with 'Alien', which proved a box-office hit and spawned three sequels, as well as establishing Ridley as an important director.

In 1982, the director found himself at the centre of a storm around his production of 'Blade Runner', which resulted in Ridley having to change the ending.

It wasn't until 1993 that the director's cut was finally released on video, and the film was recognised as a sci-fi masterpiece.

He encountered critical and commercial triumph with 'Thelma and Louise' - the film was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Director for Ridley.

For the next four years Ridley stopped directing in favour of producing, before returning to the director's chair in 1996, with 'White Squall'.

In 2000, he directed the epic 'Gladiator', starring Russell Crowe. The film received 12 Oscar nominations, including one for Ridley as Best Director.

Towards the end of 2001, Ridley and brother Tony Scott's production company, Scott Free Prods., signed a three year production deal with Fox.

Credit: thebiographychannel.co.uk