Andy Tennant

Andrew Wellman Tennant (born June 15, 1955) is an American screenwriter, film and television director, actor, and dancer.

For the Scottish cricketer, see Andy Tennant (cricketer). For the cyclist, see Andy Tennant (cyclist).
Andy Tennant
Tennant at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival
Born (1955-06-15) June 15, 1955
Chicago, Illinois, United States
NationalityAmerican
EducationHomewood-Flossmoore High School
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
OccupationScreenwriter, director, actor, dancer
Years active1978-present
Spouse(s)Sharon Kay Johnson (m. 1993)
Children4

Early life

Tennant was born June 15, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois and was raised in Flossmoor, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His father was Don Tennant, a legendary creative advertising talent with Leo Burnett Agency in Chicago. As a boy, he spent his summers on Old Mission Peninsula in northern Michigan and at Camp Minocqua in northern Wisconsin. He graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in 1973. He studied theater under John Houseman at University of Southern California.

Career

Dancing/acting and directorial debut

In 1978 he was cast as an extra of a dancing role in the musical adaption film Grease starring actor John Travolta and singer/actress Olivia Newton-John. That same year he was cast as an extra in a dancing role in the musical comedy film adaption of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. His next role as an actor was in the 1979 period comedy film 1941 as Babyface directed by Steven Spielberg featuring the ensemble cast of Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, John Candy, Chrisopher Lee, Toshiro Mifune and Robert Stack. He was cast in the comedy film Midnight Madness as Melio - Blue Team in 1980. He was cast as Boy Greaser in the sequel musical romantic-comedy Grease 2 starring actor Maxwell Caulfield and actress Michelle Pfeiffer in 1982. Tennant quit acting and began writing and producing with his first project being the NBC made-for-television movie Moving Target in 1988 starring actor/comedian Jason Bateman, singer/actress Chynna Phillips and actor Jack Wagner. He branched out to directing, making his directorial debut in 1989 for the ABC coming-of-age comedy-drama series The Wonder Years directing the season 3 episode "Math Class" starring actor Fred Savage. He worked as a director and producer for two episodes of the NBC adaption of the 1980s John Hughes film Ferris Bueller starring actor Charlie Schlatter in 1990. He directed four episodes from season 1 of the Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose starring actor Corin Nemac (1990). He directed the TNT made-for-television drama movie Keep the Change starring actor William Petersen in 1992. He directed the unaired pilot episode of the Fox comedy series Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures a spin-off of the 1980s film series originally starring actor Keanu Reeves in 1992. He directed the made-for-television movie Desperate Choices: To Save My Child starring actress Joanna Kerns and actor Bruce Davison in 1992. He directed an episode of the Fox sitcom Great Scott! starring actor Tobey Maguire in 1992. He directed the made-for-television movie What She Doesn't Know in 1992. He directed the ABC made-for-television drama movie The Amy Fisher Story starring actress Drew Barrymore in 1993. He directed two episodes of the Fox weird western series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. starring actor Bruce Campbell in 1993. He directed an episode of the CBS crime/drama series South of Sunset starring actor Glenn Frey in 1993. He directed an episode of the ABC series The Byrds of Paradise starring actor Timothy Busfield in 1994. He directed an episode of the Fox science fiction/fantasy series Sliders starring actor Jerry O'Connell in 1995.

Feature film director

He made his feature film directorial debut in 1995 with the comedy/family film It Takes Two starring actress/comedienne Kirstie Alley, actor/comedian Steve Guttenberg and actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. He directed the romantic comedy film Fools Rush In starring actor/comedian Matthew Perry and actress Selma Hayek in (1997). He directed and wrote the romantic/drama film Ever After: A Cinderella Story re-teaming with Drew Barrymore in (1998). He directed the biographical drama film Anna and the King loosely based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam, which give a fictionalized account of the diaries of Anna Leonowens starring Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster and actor Chow Yun-fat in (1999). He directed the romantic/comedy film Sweet Home Alabama starring actress Reese Witherspoon in (2002). He returned to television to directed as well as co-produce an episode of the Fox drama series The American Embassy starring actress Arija Bareikis in (2002). He returned to direct the romantic comedy film Hitch starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes in (2005). He directed the made-for-television Fox movie The Wedding Album starring actor Bruno Campos and actress Tara Summers in (2006). He directed the romantic comedy/adventure film Fool's Gold starring actor Matthew McConaughey and actress Kate Hudson in (2008). He directed the made-for-television movie Operating Instructions in (2009). He directed the action/romantic-comedy film The Bounty Hunter starring actor Gerard Butler and actress Jennifer Aniston in (2010). He directed the made-for-television movie Thunderballs in (2011). He served as an executive producer for the ESPN sports newsmagazine series E:60 earning three Emmy nominations and one win from (2011-2016). He directed an episode of the Amazon Video web series Betas starring actor Joe Dinicol in (2013). He directed the comedy film Wild Oats starring actresses Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange in (2016). He directed two episodes of the up-coming Netflix web series The Kominsky Method starring actor Michael Douglas in (2018).

Personal life

Tennant married Fine Art and Cultural Photographer, Sharon Kay Johnson February 13, 1993.[1] The couple have four children, three of whom are triplets. They currently reside in Los Angeles, California.[2][3]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Director Writer Ref.
1995 It Takes Two Yes No [4][5]
1997 Fools Rush In Yes No [6][7]
1998 Ever After: A Cinderella Story Yes Yes [8][9]
1999 Anna and the King Yes No [10][11]
2002 Sweet Home Alabama Yes No [12][13]
2005 Hitch Yes No [14][15]
2008 Fool's Gold Yes Yes [16][17]
2010 The Bounty Hunter Yes No [18][19]
2016 Wild Oats Yes No [20][21]
2020 The Secret: Dare to Dream Yes Yes

Television
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1988 Moving Target No Yes Yes TV movie
1989-1991 The Wonder Years Yes No No Episodes "Math Class" and "Heartbreak"
1990 Ferris Bueller Yes Yes No Episodes "Sloan Again, Naturally" (Director) and "Stand-In Deliver" (Writer)
1990-1991 Parker Lewis Can't Lose Yes No No 4 episodes
1992 Keep the Change Yes No No TV movie
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures Yes No No Episode "Unaired Pilot"
Desperate Choices: To Save My Child Yes No No TV movie
Great Scott! Yes No No Episode "Pyrrhic Lyric"
What She Doesn't Know No Yes No TV movie
1993 The Amy Fisher Story Yes No No
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Yes No No Episodes "Socartes" Sister" and "Brisco for the Defense"
South of Sunset Yes No No Episode "Satyricon"
1994 The Byrds of Paradise Yes No No Episode "In Todd We Trust"
1995 Sliders Yes No No Episode "Pilot"
2002 The American Embassy Yes No Yes Episode "Pilot"
2006 The Wedding Album Yes Yes Yes TV movie
2009 Operating Instructions Yes No Yes
2011 Thunderballs Yes No No
2011-2016 E:60 No No Executive Television Documentary;
58 episodes;

Sports Emmy award for Outstanding Sports Journalism (2014)
Nominated - News & Documentary Emmy award for Outstanding Feature Story (2015)
Nominated - News & Documentary Emmy award for Outstanding Feature Story (2016)

2013 Betas Yes No No Episode "Lowdown"
2018 The Kominsky Method Yes No No Episodes "1.2" and "1.5"

Acting credits
Year Title Role
1978 Grease Dancer #19
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band Dancer
1979 1941 Babyface
1980 Midnight Madness Melio - Blue Team
1982 Grease 2 Boy Greaser

References
  1. "WEDDINGS; Sharon Johnson, Andrew Tennant". Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  2. "Andy Tennant". IMDb. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  3. "Sharon Johnson-Tennant - Artists - Robert Berman Gallery". www.robertbermangallery.com. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  4. It Takes Two on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  5. It Takes Two on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  6. Fools Rush In on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  7. Fools Rush In on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  8. Ever After: A Cinderella Story on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  9. Ever After on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  10. Anna and the King on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  11. Anna and the King on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  12. Sweet Home Alabama on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  13. Sweet Home Alabama on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  14. Hitch on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  15. Hitch on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  16. Fool's Gold on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  17. Fool's Gold on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  18. The Bounty Hunter on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
  19. The Bounty Hunter on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  20. Wild Oats on Metacritic, retrieved 2018-04-18
  21. Wild Oats on Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-04-18
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