| Real Name: | Neil Joseph Tardio Jr. |
| Birthday: | 22 July, 1964 |
| Net Worth: | N/A |
| Height: | N/A |
| Occupation: | American Television, Commercial And Music Video Producer, Ex-husband of Tea Leoni |
Neil Tardio is a Los Angeles based director of commercials, music videos, television/web series, and screenwriting. He mainly deals with commercials and music videos but also writes for some television shows and screenplay writing as well. Tardio is best known for his comedy and storytelling work for clients such as AT&T, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, ESPN, McDonald’s, Nike, Virgin, and Volkswagen. He is the ex-husband of the famous actress Tea Leoni.
Story Stages
Career Ups and Downs
Neil Joseph Tardio Jr was born on 22nd July 1964 in Rye, New York. The 56-year-old is a director of several TV shows, commercials as well as music videos. He has won numerous awards and was nominated for an Emmy.
After graduating from Boston University, Tardio Jr. began his career in Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency and DDB/Chicago as an agency producer and writer, before launching into a full time directing career. He started as a director at Fahrenheit Films, a production company for commercials and music videos in Santa Monica, Calif.
His first assignment as a director was the “Rock The Vote” (1992) special for Madonna, who won him the Peabody Award. He has also won other major awards, industry accolades, including Cannes Lions, Clios, Addys, Tellys, London Art Director Awards. He has received two London Art Directors Awards, four Clios, 12 Addys, and 30 Tellys, and more than 100 honorable awards.
After filming “Rock The Vote”, Tardio directed 32 episodes of a children’s sports program “PE TV”, aired on Channel 1 and ESPN. He co-created and directed the web series, “Lifeisode”. His music video directorial success includes high-profile artists like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Queen Latifah. His spot “Joint Man“, for A Partnership with a Drug-Free America, was nominated for an Emmy. Regarding the film, his original screenplay, “Son of Santa”, was sold to United Artists, and he is currently writing a television series with Mitch Hurwitz.
Tardio is best known for his comedy and storytelling work for clients such as AT&T, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, ESPN, McDonald’s, Nike, Virgin, and Volkswagen, through his own Third Street Mining Company. “My passion for dialogue-driven storytelling led me to eventually find comedy,” said the director. “It’s been quite a journey, and the bottom line is that nothing beats great writing.” His work exhibits realistic characters, witty style, and attention to detail that exemplifies the highest standard of commercial work. At his LinkedIn Profile, he has written: “I am currently directing out of GoFilm and working with Written and Directed. I still have Third Street but my focus is on directing through Go. I take stories and make them come to life in an engaging way so audiences will laugh and remember what they saw.”
In 2015, he joined the roster of “Mrs. Bond”, comprised of commercial veterans, acclaimed TV/Film directors, and social media phenomes, for exclusive US spot representation. The president of the company described Tardio as “an incredibly strong director whose gifts extend well beyond the easy definition of ‘comedy’.”
His natural knack for casting and dialogue lead him to join the “Durable Goods” team for US commercial representation. Hani Selim, “Durable Goods” Executive Producer, said about Tardio: “Neil is an incredible addition to the brand. Not only is he experienced enough to facilitate agency executions, but he has also grasped new media in an exciting fashion and taken the lead in implementing refreshing new technologies.” As of Tardio, about Durable Goods, he added “Durable Goods brings a lot of energy and connection to the new age of industry creatives. Advertising seems to be swinging back to more dialogue, storytelling, and comedy, which is what I’m known for, so I think that their roster is a great fit for me. Their team has extreme attention to detail and genuine excitement for the global industry marketplace, which is extremely appealing.”
Neil Tardio Jr.’s talent and experience can be seen in recent work, including a spot for Kaplan University out of Arnold Boston, a comedic video for Bank of America, a Domino’s campaign out of Crispin Porter + Bogusky and a Tim Hortons’ video out of JWT Canada. He is also assigned to direct the feature film “ShortCut Man” based on the critically acclaimed novel by P.G. Sturges, and casting the feature film “The Wrong Man”. He is currently writing a duo of children’s books.
Tardio’s work packs as the double whammy – funny and award-winning.
Earnings and Net Worth
Neil Joseph Tardio Jr.’s fortune is currently unknown. Presently, the estimated fortune is under review. He does make more than enough money through advertising and directing than he has done in the past. Although he does possess very nifty assets, it is kept in secret. However, regarding all the awards that he has won, it is probably enough to make him very rich. He is leading a lavish luxurious life.
Personal and Family Life
As previously mentioned, Neil Joseph Tardio Jr. was born on July 22, 1964, in Rye, New York. He is the son of Margaret and Neil J. Tardio of Rye, N.Y. His father, Neil Tardio Sr., is a director who owns a film production company called Tardio Productions, based in New York that makes television commercials. Tardio grew up in the midst of the advertising industry, due to his father’s powerhouse commercial production company.
He was educated in Rye Country Day School and got a Bachelor’s Degree in Film/Cinema/Video studies. Then, he went on to Boston University, earning a BA in Communications from the BU School of Communications focusing on Film Making. After graduating from Boston University, he began his career in advertising and filmmaking and soon faced his first success.
Neil Joseph Tardio Jr. has been married two times. The first marriage was to the American actress Tea Leoni. It was a failed one, but it put him on the map of celebrity spouse. They dated since 1986 and were married several years later on 8 June 1991. They had been married for 4 years, before divorcing on 1 October 1995 after some lack of trust. Since they did not have any children, the separation went a bit easier. Being married to Tea Leoni was the thing that made Neil Joseph Tardio famous at first but the divorce did not damage his professional career as he went on to make his success even after the divorce was finalized.
A few years later, he got married again. This time he married Julia Sayre Hine, the manager of special marketing at Random House, the publisher in New York. She graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College. Her father was the vice president of advertising and marketing communications at the Quaker Oats Company in Chicago, and her mother a consultant with Tips on Trips and Camps in New York. At the time of marriage, Tardio was a director at Fahrenheit Films, a production company for commercials and music videos in Santa Monica, Calif. This marriage is more successful, in which he has two children, his son Max and his daughter Charlie. He lives in Los Angeles with his family.
There were rumors that Neil Joseph Tardio Jr. was gay. However, these rumors soon proved wrong, as he is a family man. In his 50s, he mainly sees himself as a provider to his family, and also a person who counts his personal achievements and manages his company.
