Ol Parker

Oliver "Ol" Parker is an English screenwriter and director. Early life Oliver Parker grew up in London. Career Oliver Parker began his acting career in the theatre. He spent some time in front of the camera guest starring in television series like Matlock and playing small roles in films like Hellraiser (1987), Nuns on the Run (1990) and An Ideal Husband (1999). After years of acting and directing on stage, work in television and also as a stand-up comic, he decided to give film making a try. He earned early writing credits in 1994 on the long running comedy series Grange Hill. Also in 1994, he wrote and directed his first short film Unsigned, which he presented at the London Film Festival. After directing two more short films, Parker took a chance and tackled his first feature film project. Drawing from his stage experience, he decided to adapt the Shakespearean play Othello (1995) to the screen. Starring Laurence Fishburne, Irene Jacob and Kenneth Branagh, Othello received positive reviews from the critics, but failed to garner much interest from the general public. Parker followed up his full-length feature debut with two more play adaptations. This time he chose Oscar Wilde's work, An Ideal Husband (1999) - which again received rave reviews from film critics - and The Importance Of Being Earnest (2002). He wrote and produced the 2000 comedy It was an Accident. His directing credits include Imagine Me & You (2005) and Now Is Good (2012). He wrote the screenplay for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015). In May 2017, he was selected to write and direct the upcoming musical sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018). Personal life Parker married English actress Thandie Newton in 1998, after meeting her while working on a BBC film. They have three children: daughter Ripley Parker (born 17 December 2000), daughter Nico Parker (born December 2004), and son Booker Parker (born 3 March 2014).