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{{Short description|British film and television director}}
{{for multi|the Australian public servant|Ian Sharp (public servant)|the New Zealand poet and critic|Iain Sharp|the Canadian entrepreneur|I. P. Sharp Associates}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Ian Sharp
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1946|11|13}}
| birth_place        = [[Clitheroe]], [[Lancashire]], England
| occupation         = Film and television director
| years_active       = 1975–2010
| notable_works      = ''Who Dares Wins''<br />''Robin of Sherwood''<br />''Tracker''
| spouse             = [[Sue Cook]]
}}

'''Ian Sharp''' (born 13 November 1946, [[Clitheroe]], [[Lancashire]]) is an English film and television director.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iansharp.net |title=Director of Film, Television and Commercials. James Bond GoldenEye, Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage Wars, Who Framed Roger Rabbit |publisher=Ian Sharp |access-date=2012-09-27}}</ref> He is best known for directing the [[Special Air Service|SAS]] action thriller ''[[Who Dares Wins (film)|Who Dares Wins]]'' (1982) and directing the action sequences of the [[James Bond film series|James Bond film]] ''[[GoldenEye|Goldeneye]]'' (1995).

== Life and career ==
Sharp was educated at [[Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn]] and [[Durham University]] ([[Hatfield College, Durham|Hatfield College]]) where he gained an honours degree in Psychology and Modern Philosophy in 1968. During the 1970s, he worked at the [[BBC]] making documentaries first for the General Features Department and then for Music and Arts, especially ''[[Arena (UK TV series)|Arena]]'' and ''[[Omnibus (UK TV series)|Omnibus]]''. In 1978, the BBC gave him 3 months sabbatical to make a movie called ''[[The Music Machine]]'', and it was this experience that led him to turn towards drama. His first break came in 1980 with the ITV comedy drama series ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]''. The way Sharp directed a fight sequence for an episode of ''Minder'' brought him to the attention of the producers of ''[[The Professionals (TV series)|The Professionals]]''. He made a total of 6 episodes for those two series.

Shortly after that, he directed ''[[Who Dares Wins (film)|Who Dares Wins]]'' (1982), his second feature film, for producer [[Euan Lloyd]]. ''Who Dares Wins'' was perceived by some as a right-wing film and Sharp says he lost career opportunities because of this. In a 2021 interview Sharp said: "I always suffered because of that. I was offered ''[[Highlander (film)|Highlander]]'' and it was between me and [[Russell Mulcahy]], who’s a very gifted director. The American producer wanted me, but on the British side they said I was a right-wing fascist. I know that for a fact because the American producer told me."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Ian Sharp interview|url=https://www.flashbackfiles.com/ian-sharp-interview|access-date=2021-10-30|website=THE FLASHBACK FILES|language=en-US}}</ref>

Sharp was disappointed in the kind of film projects he was offered after ''Who Dares Wins'' and returned to television.<ref name=":0" /> Next came the first six episodes of ''[[Robin of Sherwood]]'' for ITV, and the ensuing few years consisted of mainly television work until [[Robert Zemeckis]] asked him to direct the second unit on ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'' starring [[Bob Hoskins]].

In 1994, he directed the action scenes for ''[[GoldenEye]]'', starring [[Pierce Brosnan]]. His tank chase sequence and the daring dam jump which opens the picture are much respected in the industry.

After being out of work for two years, Sharp accepted an offer to direct ''RPM'', starring [[Emmanuelle Seigner]], [[Famke Janssen]] and [[David Arquette]]. Sharp now regrets ever having taken the job. In a 2021 interview he said: "I read the script and thought it was terrible. The action in the film could not be shot. The producer wanted it all to be real stunts. I told him it couldn’t be done. (...) I tried to make something that I knew was impossible."<ref name=":0" />

His last feature film is ''[[Tracker (2010 film)|Tracker]]'' (2010), a project for which the producers initially wanted [[Martin Campbell]] as a director. Sharp successfully campaigned to direct the film himself.<ref name=":0" />

He speaks fluent French and German and lives in Oxfordshire with his wife, the broadcaster and author [[Sue Cook]], whom he married in 2004.

==Filmography==
*''[[The Big Time (TV series)|The Big Time]]'' (1976, documentary) – director
*''Americans'' (1978, documentary) – director
* ''[[The Music Machine (film)|The Music Machine]]'' (1979) – director, outline
*''Seven Artists'' (1979, documentary) – director
* ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'' (1980–82, TV series) – episode "[[You Need Hands]]" & "[[All Mod Cons (Minder)|All Mod Cons]]" – director
* ''[[The Professionals (TV series)|The Professionals]]'' (1980–82, TV series) – director
* ''[[Who Dares Wins (film)|Who Dares Wins]]'' (1982) – director
* ''[[Robin of Sherwood]]'' (1984, TV series) – directed all of Series 1
* ''[[The Corsican Brothers (1985 film)|The Corsican Brother]]'' (1985) – director
*''[[C.A.T.S. Eyes]]'' (1986, TV series) – director
* ''[[Yesterday's Dreams (TV series)|Yesterday's Dreams]]'' (1987, TV series) – director
* ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'' (1988) – 2nd unit director
* ''[[Codename: Kyril]]'' (1988) – director
* ''[[Pursuit (1989 film)|Pursuit]]'' (1989) a.k.a. ''Twist of Fate'' – director
*''[[Pride and Extreme Prejudice]]'' (1989) – director
* ''[[Secret Weapon (TV series)|Secret Weapon]]'' (1990) – director
*''[[Split Second (1992 film)|Split Second]]'' (1992) – director of additional sequences
* ''[[Pleasure (1994 film)|Pleasure]]'' (1994) – director
* ''[[GoldenEye]]'' (1995) – 2nd unit director
* ''[[Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1998 TV serial)|Tess of the d'Urbervilles]]'' (1998) – director
*''[[RPM (film)|RPM]]'' (1998) – director
* ''[[Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War]]'' (2002) – director
* ''[[Tracker (2010 film)|Tracker]]'' (2010) – director

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0789054|Ian Sharp}}
* {{Official website|http://www.iansharp.net}} Ian Sharp portfolio

{{Ian Sharp}}

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[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:English television directors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Clitheroe]]
[[Category:Alumni of Hatfield College, Durham]]