Andrew Davis, a renowned American film director, producer, and cinematographer, was born on November 21, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois. He is particularly recognized for his work on action-packed films such as Code of Silence, The Fugitive, Chain Reaction, Collateral Damage, Above the Law, and Under Siege.
Growing up on the south side of Chicago, Davis's work often incorporates the city as a backdrop. He is the son of actor Nathan Davis and Metta Davis, and the brother of musician Richard "Richie" Peter Davis, co-founder of the cover band Chicago Catz, and Jo Ellen Friedman.
After attending Harand Camp of the Theater Arts and Bowen High School, Davis pursued a degree in journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His interest in civil rights and anti-war issues converged with his growing passion for filmmaking, leading him to be mentored by acclaimed cinematographer Haskell Wexler.
Davis began his film career as a cameraman on blaxploitation films such as The Hit Man, Cool Breeze, and The Slams in the 1970s. His first feature film as a director was the semi-biographical story, Stony Island, which marked the beginning of his successful directing career.
Throughout his career, Davis has directed a wide range of films, including The Fugitive, Under Siege, Above the Law, Code of Silence, Holes, The Package, and The Guardian. He has also worked on videogames, directing the cutscenes for Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.
In a 2006 press conference in London, Davis announced his plans to create a film that combines the novels Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes and Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.
