Alan Taylor | |
|---|---|
 Taylor in 2013 | |
| Born | (1959-01-13)January 13, 1959 (age 66) |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto,Columbia University,New York University |
| Occupation(s) | Television director, film director, screenwriter, television producer |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Willa Taylor, Ginger Taylor, Jem Taylor |
Alan Taylor (born January 13, 1959)[1] is an American television director, film director, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known for his work on television series such asThe Sopranos,Sex and the City,Mad Men, andGame of Thrones. He also directed films such asPalookaville,Thor: The Dark World,Terminator Genisys, andThe Many Saints of Newark.
In 2007, Taylor won aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series forThe Sopranos episode "Kennedy and Heidi". In 2008 and 2018, he was also nominated in the same category for theMad Men episode "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and theGame of Thrones episode "Beyond the Wall", respectively.
Taylor's father,James J. Taylor, was a private in the U.S. army translating forVoice of America, stationed in Yokohama, who subsequently held numerous jobs before becoming avideographer inWashington, D.C. Taylor's mother,Mimi Cazort, wascurator emerita for theNational Gallery of Canada. His sister is theindie rock musicianAnna Domino.[2]
He spent part of his life inManor Park, Ottawa, Canada, and attended Manor Park Public School andLisgar Collegiate Institute high school. As part of the Communications Club at Lisgar, he acted in its production ofThe Mouse That Roared. He went on to major in history at theUniversity of Toronto and then atNew York City'sColumbia University before transferring toNew York University in his late 20s to study film under instructors including directorMartin Scorsese.[1][3]
Taylor has directed for numerous programs on both network television and premium cable, most often onHBO.
Taylor's early work on television include work onThe Sopranos,Sex and the City, andThe West Wing. Taylor joined the crew of the HBO western dramaDeadwood as a director for the first season in 2004. Taylor directed the pilot episodes ofMad Men ("Smoke Gets in Your Eyes") andBored to Death as well as subsequent episodes of each. He joined the HBO seriesGame of Thrones, directing seven episodes including critically acclaimedseason 1 episode "Baelor."[4][5] He worked on a television adaptation ofthe Strugatsky brothers' 1971 science fiction novelRoadside Picnic for theWGN America network.[6] Besides his television work, Taylor's early films includePalookaville,The Emperor's New Clothes, andKill the Poor.
In the 2010s, Taylor began working on large budget blockbuster films. He was hired to directThor: The Dark World (2013) a superhero film and sequel to 2011'sThor.[7] He was approached byMarvel producerKevin Feige following directorPatty Jenkins exit from the project and hoped he would inject a darker tone into the project after seeing Taylor's work onGame of Thrones. Taylor's next film wasTerminator Genisys, a film that Taylor hoped to fix following his reading of the script, citing his love of the first twoTerminator films.[8] After directing nine episodes for the HBO seriesThe Sopranos, Taylor was approached by show creatorDavid Chase to return to direct the 2021 prequel filmThe Many Saints of Newark.
In August 2022, it was announced that Taylor was hired to direct multiple episodes of the second season ofHouse of the Dragon.
Taylor currently lives in Tyler Hill, Pennsylvania. He has three children with award-winning makeup artistNicki Ledermann.
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | That Burning Question | Yes | Yes | Short film |
| 1995 | Palookaville | Yes | No | |
| 2001 | The Emperor's New Clothes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2003 | Kill the Poor | Yes | No | |
| 2013 | Thor: The Dark World | Yes | No | |
| 2015 | Terminator Genisys | Yes | No | |
| 2021 | The Many Saints of Newark | Yes | No |
Television
...the 48-year-old TV director...
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