Neil Joseph Tardio Jr. is an American director of TV shows, commercials, and music videos. He is best known for his work on “Rock the Vote”, a campaign that featured Madonna and won a Peabody Award. He is also the former husband of actress Tea Leoni, who starred in films such as “Bad Boys”, “Deep Impact”, and “Jurassic Park III”.
Early Life and Career
Neil Joseph Tardio Jr. was born on July 22, 1964, in Rye, New York. His father, Neil Tardio Sr., is a director and owner of a film production company, while his mother, Margaret Tardio, is a homemaker. He attended Rye Country Day School and graduated from Boston University with a degree in Film/Cinema/Video Studies.
He began his career as an agency producer and writer for advertising agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi and DDB/Chicago. His first assignment as a director was “Rock the Vote”, a public service announcement that encouraged young people to vote in the 1992 presidential election. The campaign featured Madonna wrapped in an American flag and saying “If you don’t vote, you’re going to get a spanky”. The campaign was a success and won a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting.
Tardio Jr. went on to direct more TV shows, commercials, and music videos for various brands and artists. Some of his notable works include “PE TV”, a children’s sports program, “Lifeisode”, a reality show about life-changing events, “Joint Man”, a comedy series about a superhero who smokes marijuana, and “Coca-Cola”, “ESPN”, “McDonald’s”, and “Nike” commercials.
Personal Life and Relationships
Tardio Jr. married Tea Leoni, an American actress, on June 8, 1991, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Hope, New Jersey. They met in 1986 and dated for five years before tying the knot. However, their marriage did not last long and they divorced in 1995. The reason behind their separation was reportedly a lack of trust and compatibility.
After their divorce, Leoni married actor David Duchovny in 1997 and had two children with him. They separated in 2014 and Leoni started dating her co-star Tim Daly from the political drama series “Madam Secretary”. Tardio Jr., on the other hand, married Julia Sayre Hine, a manager of Random House and the publisher in New York, on June 27, 1998. She is the daughter of the former vice president of Quaker Oats in Chicago. They have two children together, a son named Max and a daughter named Charlie.
Tardio Jr. and his second wife live in Los Angeles and keep a low profile away from the media spotlight. He is still active as a director and has worked on projects such as “The Last Laugh”, a documentary about comedians who survived the Holocaust, and “The Big Picture”, a web series about Hollywood insiders.
Conclusion
Neil Joseph Tardio Jr. is a successful director of TV shows, commercials, and music videos. He is also the ex-husband of actress Tea Leoni, who is famous for her roles in movies such as “Bad Boys” and “Jurassic Park III”. He has been married twice and has two children from each marriage. He lives in Los Angeles with his current wife Julia Sayre Hine.