Fred Olen Ray

Fred Olen Ray
Born (1954-09-10) September 10, 1954 (age 70)
Wellston, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation(s)Film producer, director, screenwriter, actor
Years active1971–present
Spouses
  • Dawn Wildsmith
Kimberly A. Ray
​
(m. 1997)​

Fred Olen Ray (born September 10, 1954) is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter of more than 200 low-to-medium-quality feature films in many genres,[1] including horror, science fiction, action/adventure, erotic thrillers, crime dramas, and holiday films.[2]

Ray is the head of Retromedia, which releases DVDs of both his own productions and archival films.[3] He has also worked for other well-known independent studios and on a few occasions for major Hollywood studios. He has been cited as an inspiration for many independent filmmakers. He loaned a 16 mm camera to Quentin Tarantino so he could make My Best Friend's Birthday.[4]

Aside from his work in the film industry, Ray was also a professional wrestler. His wrestling name was Fabulous Freddie Valentine.[5]

  1. ^ Campopiano, John (June 27, 2016). "Cult Film Legend Fred Olen Ray Talks the Birth of His Stepmonster". Dread Central.
  2. ^ "Understanding the Holiday TV Movie Market with Fred Olen Ray and Christopher Ray". Final Draft. December 19, 2017.
  3. ^ "Meet Fred Olen Ray of Retromedia Entertainment Group in Studio City". VoyageLA.
  4. ^ Gaydos, Steve (March 14, 2007). "Q&A with Tarantino…when he was Mr. Green". Variety.
  5. ^ Johnny D. Boggs (January 10, 2014). Jesse James and the Movies. McFarland. pp. 223–226. ISBN 978-0-7864-8496-6.