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Rupert Sanders: What You Don’t Know About Snow White’s Director

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Rupert Sanders arrives at the Snow White & The Huntsman Australian Premiere at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction on June 19, 2012 in Sydney, Australia.

He’s directed one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters with his first-ever feature film — and managed to come between young Hollywood’s hottest couple. So who exactly is Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders?

Here, Us Weekly uncovers need-to-know details about the 41-year-old caught in a steamy makeout session with Stewart, 22.

Related: PHOTOS: Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson's undercover PDA

1. He’s admitted to having a soft spot for bad girl Stewart. “There’s something very rebellious about her,” Sanders has said of the actress, who is 19 years his junior. “She’s very kind of wild and untamed. . . . She’s got a great spirit.” And he also got along with her boyfriend Pattinson, who was a constant presence on Snow White‘s set. “Rob and Kristen are both very down-to-earth, very nice people,” Sanders offered. “We all became very close friends.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Stewart issued a heartfelt apology to her love of three years Pattinson. “I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected,” her statement read. Addressing Pattinson directly, Stewart added: “This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I’m so sorry.”

Related: PHOTOS: Kristen Stewart's grumpiest expressions

2. Married to British Vogue model Liberty Ross, 33, for seven years, Sanders is the father of two young children, ages 7 and 5, who were extras in Snow White‘s final scene. Starring in the film as Stewart’s mother, Ross has stood by her husband as he prepared to release his first feature film. “Last night was quite a night for me and my family – the worldwide premiere of Snow White and the Huntsman,” Ross wrote in a Vogue U.K. blog post, which appears to have since been removed, according to E! News. “We have lived and breathed this project every day now for two years, so to release it to the world last night was extremely exciting.”

Related: PHOTOS: Kristen Stewart's glam evolution

3. Meeting Ross — his best friend’s little sister — at a party years ago, Sanders knew it was love at first sight. “I just knew I was going to marry her. It took a while. I didn’t propose to her for seven years because I felt that she was too young and she’d resent me if she hadn’t lived,” Sanders told the U.K.’s Guardian in June. “. . . We both lived very independent lives, then we’d meet up. It kept the fire burning. She’s been very supportive and she’s been a strong single mother for the last year-and-a-half, because I haven’t been around.” On Wednesday, the director issued an apology to Ross and their kids, saying he was “utterly distraught” by the fallout of his indiscretions.

Related: PHOTOS: Breaking Dawn wedding album

4. Though Snow White and the Huntsman is his first feature film, director Sanders is already quite accomplished in the industry. Creating ads for brands including Nike, Adidas, Xbox and an award-winning spot for video game Halo 3, Sanders scored a meeting with Alice in Wonderland producer Joe Roth, who asked him to shoot a three-minute trailer for his proposed film. Snagging the Snow White directing gig shortly thereafter, Sanders filmed the project in three months and edited it in under four.

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5. He relishes the opportunity to work with leading lady Stewart on a Snow White sequel. Confirming to the Guardian that a sequel option has already been discussed, Sanders says he would welcome the chance to reunite his cast, which also includes Charlize Theron. “I’ve got an interesting theme in mind, so we’ll see . . . if it’s right, we’ll do it, if it’s not, we won’t,” said the director, who is also working on a film about New York City’s Drug Enforcement Administration and a sci-fi flick.

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