Alexander Payne | |
|---|---|
 Payne in 2017 | |
| Born | Constantine Alexander Payne (1961-02-10)February 10, 1961 (age 64) |
| Citizenship |
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| Education | Stanford University (BA) University of California, Los Angeles (MFA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Full list |
Constantine Alexander Payne[1] (born February 10, 1961)[2] is an American filmmaker. He is noted for hissatirical depictions of contemporary American society. Payne has receivednumerous accolades, including twoAcademy Awards, aBAFTA Award and twoGolden Globe Awards as well as a nomination for aGrammy Award.
After directing several short films, Payne made his feature film debut with theblack comedyCitizen Ruth (1996). His career progressed with the political satireElection (1999), for which he received a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the comedy-dramaAbout Schmidt (2002). Payne twice won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing his directorialsSideways (2004) andThe Descendants (2011). He was also nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Director for these two films and for the road filmNebraska (2013). He has since directed the comedy-dramasDownsizing (2017), andThe Holdovers (2023).
Payne was born inOmaha, Nebraska, to Peggy and George Payne, restaurant owners.[3][1] He is the youngest of three sons[4] and grew up in theDundee neighborhood.[5] He is of Greek ancestry.[6][7] Payne's paternal grandfather, Nicholas "Nick" Payne,anglicized the last name from "Papadopoulos".[8] His family comes from three areas in Greece: the island ofSyros,Livadia, andAegio.[9] Payne's family was part of the fabric[clarification needed] of Omaha, which he refers to as part of his upbringing.[10][11] His grandfather was a founder of The Virginia Cafe, with Payne's father taking over the restaurant. Payne went there regularly as a child. The restaurant was destroyed in a fire in 1969; theW. Dale Clark Library was later built on the site.[10] Payne's paternal grandmother, Clara Payne (née Hoffman), was from a German Nebraska family fromLincoln, Nebraska.[11]
In Omaha, Payne attendedBrownell-Talbot School, Dundee Elementary School, and Lewis and Clark Junior High.[1] He graduated fromCreighton Prep for high school in 1979.[12] At Prep, Payne wrote a humor column for his high school newspaper and was the editor of the high school yearbook.[13] Payne then attendedStanford University, where he majored in Spanish and History.[8] As a part of his Spanish degree, he studied at Spain'sUniversity of Salamanca. He later lived a few months inMedellín, Colombia, where he published an article about social changes between 1900 and 1930.[14] Payne received hisMFA in 1990 from theUCLA Film School.
In the 1960s, Payne's father received aSuper 8mm projector from Kraft Foods as a loyalty reward,[1][15] and eventually passed it on to his son when Alexander was about 14 years old.[13][16][17]
A short time after getting hisMFA fromUCLA Film School—and after his successful thesis filmThe Passion of Martin had attracted industry attention—Payne got a writing/directing deal withUniversal Pictures. The ensuing screenplay, which was turned down, ultimately becameAbout Schmidt.[8] He says that he cleared about $60,000, which was enough to fund his simple lifestyle at the time for about five years.[7] Payne has said he sees his talent as being one of learned economy, referring to the essay written byTennessee Williams onThe Catastrophe of Success.[17] During this time Payne worked in various capacities on films and television including directing several films for thePlayboy channel.
Payne co-wrote and directed his first full-length film,Citizen Ruth, which was released in 1996. The film is a satirical black comedy revolving around the issue ofabortion rights. The film starsLaura Dern as a dim-witted woman with substance abuse issues who happens to get pregnant. She unexpectedly becomes a pawn of figures from both sides of theabortion debate. The film co-starsKelly Preston,Burt Reynolds, andTippi Hedren. The film premiered at the 1996Sundance Film Festival where it received favorable reviews. InJanet Maslin ofThe New York Times review she wrote, "There's no easy way out of this predicament, though Mr. Payne does beg the question with skill. AndCitizen Ruth can easily be forgiven for not finding a fully satisfying ending. It delivers more than enough lively, gutsy satire along the way."[18]
His second film,Election, starringMatthew Broderick andReese Witherspoon, which takes aim at politics and education in America, attracted attention whenNew Yorkerfilm criticDavid Denby named it the best film of 1999. Payne received his firstAcademy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay nomination forElection.Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars out of four, praising Witherspoon and Payne, and saying, "...here is a movie that is not simply about an obnoxious student, but also about an imperfect teacher, a lockstep administration, and a student body that is mostly just marking time until it can go out into the world and occupy valuable space".[19] The film became a cult classic, ranking at #61 onBravo's "100 Funniest Movies" and #9 onEntertainment Weekly's list of the "50 Best High School Movies", while Witherspoon's performance was ranked at #45 on the list of the "100 Greatest Film Performances of All Time" byPremiere. According to Payne, it is also PresidentBarack Obama's favorite political film.[20]
In 2000, Payne completed an uncredited polish-up of the screenplay for the comedy filmMeet the Parents. In 2001, Payne wrote a draft ofJurassic Park III. In 2002, Payne's filmAbout Schmidt, about a recently retired widower who embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter's wedding, was released. The film starredJack Nicholson as the title character, Warren Schmidt, and its script was based on the novel of the same name byLouis Begley. The film also co-starredHope Davis,Dermot Mulroney,June Squibb, andKathy Bates. The film premiered at the55th Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews, with critics highlighting Nicholson's performance. Payne received aGolden Globe for the screenplay, which was also nominated for aWriters Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. To the surprise of many who kept track of Hollywood news,[21][22] Payne andJim Taylor were not nominated for an Oscar for theAbout Schmidt screenplay.
In 2004, Payne followedAbout Schmidt withSideways, a film about two middle-aged men who embark on a week-long road trip toSanta Barbara County wine country to celebrate Jack's upcoming wedding. The film starsPaul Giamatti andThomas Hayden Church as the two friends, withVirginia Madsen andSandra Oh. The film premiered at theToronto International Film Festival where it received rave reviews.Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film four stars, saying: "what happens during the seven days adds up to the best human comedy of the year – comedy, because it is funny, and human, because it is surprisingly moving."[23] Payne won both theAcademy Award andGolden Globe in 2005 for Best Adapted Screenplay, while the film also won theGolden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. In total,Sideways received five Academy Award nominations includingBest Picture.
In 2007 Payne served as an executive producer on the filmsKing of California andThe Savages. He also collaborated once again with writing partner Jim Taylor to write a draft of the screenplay for the filmI Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007), a comedy directed byDennis Dugan, and starringAdam Sandler andKevin James. Payne disliked the final product, stating that Adam Sandler rewrote so much of the story that almost all of what Payne and Taylor wrote was gone.
In 2009, Payne signed a petition calling for the release of film directorRoman Polanski, who had been arrested in Switzerland in relation to his1977 charge for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl.[24]
Payne returned to directing in 2011 after a seven-year hiatus with the filmThe Descendants, a film about a man dealing with the aftermath of a boating accident involving his wife, leaving her in a coma. The film starredGeorge Clooney,Shailene Woodley,Beau Bridges,Judy Greer,Matthew Lillard, andRobert Forster. The film premiered at the2011 Toronto International Film Festival where it received near universal praise ending up on many critics top 10 list of the year. Critics also hailed George Clooney's performance with many citing it as his best.Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian praised Payne as a director writing, "Payne knows the difference between lightness and frivolity, between seriousness and solemnity, between different kinds of cloud...Within a single scene the film can tap into deep feelings of pain, switch into comic modes as various as farce and satire, and confront and evade moral challenges."[25] Payne also co-wrote the screenplay along withNat Faxon, andJim Rash who all won theAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Payne executive produced the short filmRun Fast. Anna Musso, his long-time assistant and protégé, wrote and directed the film, which shot in March 2014. The project was partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign.[26] Payne was also executive producer of the acclaimed 2014 filmKumiko, the Treasure Hunter directed byDavid Zellner. Payne'sNebraska starred veteran character actorBruce Dern (who received theCannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor) andSaturday Night Live alumnusWill Forte.[27] It was released on November 15, 2013.[28] The film received critical acclaim with David Edlestein ofNPR describing it as a "superb balancing act" and adding, "it's a special kind of triumph".[29] The film was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Picture with Payne receiving aBest Director nomination, ultimately losing toAlfonso Cuarón forGravity.
Payne has said that during his seven-year hiatus betweenSideways (2004) andThe Descendants (2011), he, along with working partner Jim Taylor, were developing the satireDownsizing, which Payne has described as "a large canvas, science-fiction social satire" and "an epic masterpiece." The film, about an impoverished married couple who decide the way ahead lies in shrinking themselves, was to starPaul Giamatti andReese Witherspoon, but was superseded byThe Descendants andNebraska.[30][31] In March 2016, Witherspoon was replaced byKristen Wiig and Giamatti byMatt Damon.[32]Hong Chau,Christoph Waltz,Udo Kier,Neil Patrick Harris, andJason Sudeikis also starred.[33]Paramount Pictures released the film on December 22, 2017.[34][35] It has received mixed reviews, with many critics describing it as the weakest film of Payne's career.[36]
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In June 2021, it was announced that Payne would direct Paul Giamatti in theDavid Hemingson-scripted filmThe Holdovers forMiramax.[37][38][39] The film premiered at theTelluride Film Festival to widespread critical acclaim. Peter Debruge ofVariety compared it to the films ofHal Ashby describing it as feeling as though it was a "lost 70s classic".[40] Stephen Farber ofThe Hollywood Reporter hailed it as "an engaging and often touching comic drama that builds power as it moves toward its immensely satisfying conclusion."[41]
In 2024, Payne was said to be in production on—and targeting a 2025 release for—adocumentary feature about film scholarJeanine Basinger.[42] However, no updates have been given since.
Payne is also currently set for directing a Danish-language film to be shot inDenmark, fully funded by European sources.[43] This was later revealed to be titledSomewhere Out There, withRenate Reinsve joining in a supporting role[44] andSearchlight Pictures acquiring worldwide distribution rights.Principal photography is scheduled to begin in 2026.[45]
In 2025, Payne presided as the Jury President for the main competition of the82nd edition ofVenice Film Festival.[46]
In 1999, it was reported that Payne was in talks to directEsquivel, a biopic starringJohn Leguizamo as Mexican musicianJuan García Esquivel. He was also developing an adaptation ofPaul Auster'sThe Locked Room at the time.[47]
In 2000, it was reported that Payne was to co-write and direct an untitled film inspired byOscar Wilde'sThe Picture of Dorian Gray.However, nothing more was heard of this project.[48]
At one point, Payne was in talks to directthe remake of the 1966 heist comedyGambit, after theCoen brothers did a rewrite of the film in 2003. He planned to reunite withReese Witherspoon for the project, but he ultimately decided against it, reluctant to direct a script he didn't write.[49]
In November 2010, it was reported that Payne would possibly direct thefilm adaptation ofDaniel Clowes's graphic novelWilson.[50][51][52][53] Then in November 2011, Payne confirmed that he was to directWilson next afterNebraska (2013).[54][55][56] However, Payne officially confirmed in a 2014 interview withParade that he was no longer attached to theWilson project.[57]
It was reported in 2011 that Payne was to direct a film titledFork in the Road.[58] That project was to have been an adaptation of a novel by Denis Hamill.[59]
In 2012, it was reported that Payne andJim Taylor wrote a script titledThe Lost Cause, which was said to be an expansion of Taylor's 2004 short film of the same name.[60]
In November 2013, Payne was in talks to direct a film titledThe Judge's Will forFox Searchlight Pictures.[61][62][63] The project was to have been based on aNew Yorker article written byRuth Prawer Jhabvala about an elderly judge fromDelhi who wants to make sure his much younger wife will be taken care of after his death.[64][65][66] In May 2018, it was reported thatJames Ivory would write the screenplay of the project for Payne.[67][68][69] In June 2018, it was reported that Payne will possibly shootThe Judge's Will inChicago.[70]
In November 2014, it was announced that Payne would direct a film titledLa Vida Norteña.[71] The project was to have been about a Latin music promoter who befriends a Nebraskan mayor.[72]
In April 2015, it was reported that Payne was interested in directingSeptillion to One, a contemporary romantic comedy inspired by the true story ofJoan Ginther, who won theTexas State Lottery four times.[73][74][75][76] Adam R. Perlman and Graham Sack's spec script was purchased byOddLot Entertainment, who intended to produce and finance the film. Payne was not officially committed to directing at the time, due to his preoccupation with the production ofDownsizing (2017). In September 2016,Mark Romanek signed on to direct the film.[77][78][79]
In February 2016, it was announced that Payne was to direct a film titledMy Saga, which is based on a pair of articles written byKarl Ove Knausgård and published byThe New York Times Magazine.[80][81][82][83] The articles cover Knausgård tracing theVikings' voyages in North America.[84][85][86] The film was to have been distributed byNetflix and starMads Mikkelsen.[87][88][89] In October 2019, the production was cancelled a week before filming was to begin due to Knausgard objecting to his life story being turned into a feature film.[90]
In March 2018, Payne was in talks to direct a legal drama film forAmazon Studios titledThe Burial.[91][92][93][94] The project was based on the true story ofMississippi-based lawyerWillie Gary, who takes on the case ofJeremiah O'Keefe, an owner of a chain of funeral homes who claimed he was swindled by a major funeral parlor conglomerate.[95][96]Maggie Betts took over as director and the film premiered in 2023 at theToronto International Film Festival.
It was reported in February 2019 that Payne was attached to direct the comedy horror filmThe Menu forGary Sanchez Productions.[97] The plot concerns a young couple that attends an exclusive restaurant in a tropical island only to experience some "shocking surprises."[98][99][100][101] By April 2019,Emma Stone andRalph Fiennes were set to star in the film.[102][103] By May 2020,Mark Mylod replaced Payne onThe Menu.[104][105]
On December 2, 2019, it was announced that Payne was attached to direct an American remake of the 1987 Oscar-winning Danish filmBabette's Feast.[106][107][108][109] Payne's version is said to be set inMinnesota.[110][111]
On December 20, 2019, it was announced that Payne was going to direct the HBO miniseriesLandscapers.[112] However, in October 2020, it was announced that Payne dropped out of the project due to a schedule conflict and was replaced byWill Sharpe.[113]
In 2021, Payne said that one of his upcoming projects, which he planned to followThe Holdovers, would be a comedy set in Paris based on the true story of rival antique chair dealers, and that he was using the pandemic downtime to craft the screenplay.[114] In 2023, Payne toldIndieWire that he was working withJim Taylor and a French screenwriting team, and that their script is "maybe 65 percent there".[115] Project is based on the 2018Vanity Fair article "The Chairmen".[43]
In 2022, soon after the publication ofTracy Flick Can't Win, the sequel novel toElection, a film adaptation was announced to be in works atParamount+ withReese Witherspoon set to reprise her role asTracy Flick and Payne returning to direct and co-write.[116][117][118]
While promotingThe Holdovers, Payne announced that he was collaborating with scribeDavid Hemingson yet again on a long-time dream to make aWestern film. "I finally found a creative partner who shares the same zeal that I have for Westerns", Payne said.[119][115] The film is said to be set in 1886Custer County, Nebraska, and will featurePaul Giamatti in a currently undisclosed role.[120][121] Payne has cited the Westerns ofAnthony Mann as an influence on the project.[122]
On a 2023 episode ofHappy Sad Confused, Payne revealed that one of his favorite scripts which had not been produced was a rewrite withJim Taylor on a film calledTucker Ames as Himself, which he described as "sort of aparody of aBill Gates guy who gets his comeuppance in some way."[123] In the same interview, Payne reiterated that he and Taylor were still discussing how to adaptTracy Flick Can't Win, attributing his desire to addMatthew Broderick's character from the first film and veer away from "making high school movies," since the novel is set at a high school again.[124]
Payne has set many of his films inOmaha, his hometown. His films sometimes include scenes of historical landmarks, black and white photographs, and museums, and he often uses amateur actors for minor roles.[8][125]
Payne is on the short list of directors who havefinal cut rights for their films.[126]
In 2005, he became a member of the Board of Governors of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Directors Branch).
Payne married Canadian actressSandra Oh on January 1, 2003, after dating her for three years. On March 12, 2005, apublicist announced their separation. The divorce was officially finalized on December 22, 2006,[127] although the former couple took more than two years to settle their finances.[128][129][130] In 2015, Payne married Maria Kontos, whom he met while visiting theAigio region of Greece where some of his ancestors originated.[131][132] They welcomed a daughter in 2017, and divorced in 2022.[133] In 2022 he receivedGreek citizenship.[134]
Payne is on the Board of Directors of anOmaha non-profit film theater,Film Streams.[8] He maintains a passion for preservation. In recent years, he helped preserve a historic film theater inScottsbluff, Nebraska.[135]
Payne was co-owner (along with friend Ann Beeder) of King Fong (now permanently closed), a Chinese restaurant in Omaha.[136]
Payne is a long-time supporter[137] of theNebraska Coast Connection, a social networking organization that meets monthly inCulver City, California. In November 2013, he held a special screening ofNebraska for the group's members at the Sherry Lansing Theatre on theParamount Studios lot.[138]
In a 2018 interview withRonan Farrow, actressRose McGowan accused a "prominent” man in Hollywood ofstatutory rape but she did not name the person in question.[139] In August 2020, McGowan said it was Payne and that he committed the act sometime in 1988 or 1989, when McGowan was 15 years old and Payne was about 28 years old.[140]
Payne responded to McGowan's allegation by writing a guest column inDeadline Hollywood in which he admitted to a consensual relationship with her, stating that they had met at some point in 1991 (McGowan turned 18 in September 1991) at an audition for a comic short film that he was directing for thePlayboy Channel and had no reason to believe she was under theage of consent as the part required an actress who was of age. Payne ended his statement writing, "While I cannot allow false statements about events 29 years ago to go uncorrected, I will continue to wish only the best for Rose".[141]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Carmen | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1990 | The Passion of Martin | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1991 | Inside Out: My Secret Moments | Yes | Yes | No | [142] |
| 1992 | Inside Out: The Houseguest | Yes | No | No | [143] |
| 2006 | 14e arrondissement | Yes | Yes | No | Segment ofParis, je t'aime |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Citizen Ruth | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1999 | Election | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2002 | About Schmidt | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2004 | Sideways | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | The Descendants | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2013 | Nebraska | Yes | No | No | |
| 2017 | Downsizing | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2023 | The Holdovers | Yes | No | No | |
| TBA | UntitledJeanine Basinger documentary | Yes | TBA | TBA | In production |
Executive producer
Producer
Writer only
| Year | Title | Director | Executive producer | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Hung | Yes | Yes | "Pilot" (S1 E1) |
Over his career Payne has received numerous accolades including twoAcademy Awards, aBAFTA Award, twoGolden Globe Awards, and fiveIndependent Spirit Awards. He has also received a nomination for aGrammy Award. In 2017,Metacritic ranked Payne 2nd on its list of the 25 best film directors of the 21st century.[146]
| Year | Title | Academy Awards | BAFTA Awards | Golden Globe Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | ||
| 1999 | Election | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 2002 | About Schmidt | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2004 | Sideways | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| 2011 | The Descendants | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2013 | Nebraska | 6 | 3 | 5 | |||
| 2017 | Downsizing | 1 | |||||
| 2023 | The Holdovers | 5 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 19 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 27 | 8 | |
Directed Academy Award performances
Under Payne's direction, these actors have receivedAcademy Award nominations and wins for their performances in their respective roles.
| Year | Performer | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actor | |||
| 2003 | Jack Nicholson | About Schmidt | Nominated |
| 2012 | George Clooney | The Descendants | Nominated |
| 2014 | Bruce Dern | Nebraska | Nominated |
| 2024 | Paul Giamatti | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |||
| 2005 | Thomas Haden Church | Sideways | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||
| 2003 | Kathy Bates | About Schmidt | Nominated |
| 2005 | Virginia Madsen | Sideways | Nominated |
| 2014 | June Squibb | Nebraska | Nominated |
| 2024 | Da'Vine Joy Randolph | The Holdovers | Won |
In 2012, he was named as a member of the Jury for the Main Competition at the2012 Cannes Film Festival.[147] His 2013 filmNebraska was nominated for thePalme d'Or at the2013 Cannes Film Festival.[148] With hisAcademy Award nomination forNebraska in 2014,[149] Payne has been nominated seven times, winning theAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay twice.
In 2014, TheLocation Managers Guild of America honored Payne with their inauguralEva Monley Award for his masterful use of location as another character.
Constantine Alexander Payne, a Greek American, was born on February 10, 1961 to George and Peggy Payne in Omaha, Nebraska. ... Alexander attended Brownell Talbot and Dundee for elementary school, Lewis and Clark Junior High and Creighton Prep High School. ...[H]e went on to attend Stanford, and ... graduated with an MFA in film from UCLA. ... [H[is father, owner of The Virginia Restaurant in downtown Omaha...
...his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, where his family ran a Greek restaurant — they changed the family name from Papadopoulos.
...the youngest of three sons in a Greek-American family of businessmen and restaurateurs. (His grandfather had changed the family name from Papadopulis.) In 1975, a tornado blew down Alexander's junior high school ... [and he transferred] to Creighton Prep...
...Dundee, the tidy grove of modest two-story homes where he grew up and where his parents still live.
he majored in Latin-American literature and history, and studied abroad in Spain and in Colombia.
Originally published in The Reader
Payne, a 1979 Creighton Prep graduate...
Barack Obama has told me twice that it's his favorite political film.
{{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help)Midwest Theater (Scottsbluff, NE)
