A native of southern New Jersey, Christopher McQuarrie attended high school with Bryan Singer, his future collaborator on such monstrously popular projects as "The Usual Suspects" (1995) and "X-Men" (2000). After graduation, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter spent a year working in Western Australia before returning to the USA and a job at a Garden State detective agency, where his job entailed working as a glorified security guard at a rough urban movie theater, as opposed to requiring him to crack many interesting cases. While not exactly the exciting life McQuarrie imagined leading,
Moved to Western Australia after high school graduation
Returned to USA; found work at a detective agency
1993
First produced screenplay, "Public Access"; directed by Bryan Singer
1995
Reteamed with Singer on the labyrinthine crime thriller "The Usual Suspects"; won Oscar for screenplay; first collaboration with actor Benicio Del Toro
