Simon West (born 17 July 1961) is an English director and producer. He has primarily worked in the action genre, most notably as the director of the films Con Air (1997), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), The Mechanic (2011), and The Expendables 2 (2012). Outside of action, he directed the mystery thriller film The General's Daughter (1999) and the psychological horror film When a Stranger Calls (2006). He had also directed the music video for Rick Astley’s 1987 single Never Gonna Give You Up.

Early life

West was born in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. He began his career as an assistant film editor with the BBC Film Department, where he worked on dramas and documentaries. He then left the BBC to work on commercials and music videos. He debuted as a director in 1997 with Con Air, starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, and John Malkovich.

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