Alexander Payne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Payne
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![]() Payne in 2017
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Born |
Constantine Alexander Payne
February 10, 1961 |
Citizenship |
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Education | Stanford University (BA) University of California, Los Angeles (MFA) |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1985–present |
Spouse(s) |
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Children | 1 |
Awards | Full list |
Constantine Alexander Payne (born February 10, 1961) is a Greek-American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for making movies that often show funny or thoughtful parts of American life. Alexander Payne has won many important awards, including two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars), a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award.
After making several short films, Payne directed his first full-length movie, Citizen Ruth (1996). He became more well-known with films like Election (1999) and About Schmidt (2002). Payne won two Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011). He was also nominated for Best Director for these films and for Nebraska (2013). More recently, he directed Downsizing (2017) and The Holdovers (2023).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alexander Payne was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Peggy and George Payne, owned restaurants. He is the youngest of three sons and grew up in the Dundee neighborhood of Omaha. His family has roots in Greece. Payne's grandfather, Nicholas "Nick" Payne, changed the family's last name from "Papadopoulos" to "Payne." His family comes from different parts of Greece, including Syros, Livadia, and Aegio.
Payne went to several schools in Omaha, including Brownell-Talbot School and Creighton Prep for high school. At Creighton Prep, he wrote for the school newspaper and was the editor of the yearbook. After high school, Payne went to Stanford University, where he studied Spanish and History. He even studied in Spain for a while. Later, he earned a special degree in film from the UCLA Film School in 1990.
When Alexander was about 14, his father gave him a Super 8mm projector. This was a small film projector that helped spark his interest in movies.
Alexander Payne's Film Career
Early Films and First Feature
After finishing film school, Alexander Payne got a deal with Universal Pictures to write and direct. This led to an early version of the script for About Schmidt. He earned enough money from this to support himself for several years. During this time, he also worked on various film and TV projects.
Payne co-wrote and directed his first full-length movie, Citizen Ruth, which came out in 1996. This film is a dark comedy about a woman who gets caught in a big argument between different groups. The movie stars Laura Dern, Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, and Tippi Hedren. It was shown at the Sundance Film Festival and received good reviews. Critics said it was a lively and brave comedy.
Becoming a Well-Known Director

His second film, Election, came out in 1999. It stars Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon and looks at politics and school life in America. A famous film critic, David Denby, called it the best film of 1999. Payne was nominated for an Academy Award for writing the script for Election. Film critic Roger Ebert praised the movie, saying it was about imperfect people and school life. The film became very popular over time and is considered one of the best high school movies ever.
In 2002, Payne's film About Schmidt was released. It's about a man who retires and goes on a trip to his daughter's wedding. The movie stars Jack Nicholson as Warren Schmidt. It also features Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, June Squibb, and Kathy Bates. The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and received great reviews, especially for Jack Nicholson's acting. Payne won a Golden Globe for the screenplay.
In 2004, Payne directed Sideways. This film is about two middle-aged friends who go on a road trip through wine country to celebrate a wedding. It stars Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church, along with Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. The movie was a big hit at the Toronto International Film Festival. Roger Ebert called it "the best human comedy of the year." Payne won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sideways. The film also won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
After a break, Payne returned to directing in 2011 with The Descendants. This film is about a man dealing with his family after his wife has a serious accident. It stars George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, and Judy Greer. The movie was highly praised at the Toronto International Film Festival, and many critics said George Clooney's performance was one of his best. Payne, along with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, won an Academy Award for the screenplay.
Payne's film Nebraska (2013) starred Bruce Dern and Will Forte. It was released in November 2013 and received excellent reviews. David Edlestein of NPR called it a "superb balancing act." The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Payne was nominated for Best Director.
Recent Work and Future Plans
In 2017, Payne released Downsizing, a science-fiction comedy about people who decide to shrink themselves to save money. The film starred Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig.
In 2023, Payne directed The Holdovers, which reunited him with actor Paul Giamatti. The film premiered to great reviews, with critics praising it as a touching and funny drama. It also starred Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who won an Academy Award for her performance.
As of 2025, Alexander Payne is working on a documentary about film scholar Jeanine Basinger. He is also set to direct a Danish-language film called Somewhere Out There, which will be filmed in Denmark in 2026. In 2025, Payne was the head of the jury for the main competition at the Venice Film Festival.
Payne has also discussed plans for a Western film set in Nebraska in 1886, which might star Paul Giamatti. He is also working on a film adaptation of Tracy Flick Can't Win, a sequel to his film Election.
Directing Style
Alexander Payne often sets his films in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. His movies sometimes show famous places, old photographs, and museums. He also likes to use local people who are not professional actors for smaller roles in his films.
Payne is one of the few directors who have "final cut rights" for their films. This means he has the final say on how his movies are edited and released.
Personal Life
Family Life
Alexander Payne married Canadian actress Sandra Oh in 2003, but they divorced in 2006. In 2015, he married Maria Kontos, whom he met in Greece. They had a daughter in 2017 and divorced in 2022. In 2022, he also became a Greek citizen.
Community Involvement
Payne is on the Board of Directors for Film Streams, a non-profit movie theater in Omaha. He cares a lot about preserving old buildings and helped save a historic film theater in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. He was also a co-owner of a Chinese restaurant in Omaha called King Fong, which is now closed.
Filmography
Short Films
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
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1985 | Carmen | Yes | Yes | No | |
1990 | The Passion of Martin | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
1991 | Inside Out: My Secret Moments | Yes | Yes | No | |
1992 | Inside Out: The Houseguest | Yes | No | No | |
2006 | 14e arrondissement | Yes | Yes | No | Part of Paris, je t'aime |
Feature Films
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
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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 | |
2025 | Untitled Jeanine Basinger documentary | Yes | TBA | TBA | In production |
Executive Producer
- The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)
- Gray Matters (2006)
- The Savages (2007)
- Sideways (2009)
- Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014)
- Crash Pad (2017)
- Small Town Wisconsin (2020)
Producer
- King of California (2007)
- Cedar Rapids (2011)
Writer Only
- Meet the Parents (2000) (uncredited)
- Jurassic Park III (2001)
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)
Television
Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
Episode |
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2009 | Hung | Yes | Yes | "Pilot" (S1 E1) |
Awards and Nominations
Alexander Payne has received many awards throughout his career. These include two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and five Independent Spirit Awards. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award. In 2017, Metacritic, a website that collects reviews, ranked Payne as the 2nd best film director of the 21st century.
Year | Title | Academy Awards | BAFTA Awards | Golden Globe Awards | |||
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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 |
Academy Award Nominations and Wins for Actors in Payne's Films
Actors who worked with Alexander Payne have also been nominated for or won Academy Awards for their roles:
Year | Performer | Title | Result |
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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 a judge for the main film competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. His 2013 film Nebraska was nominated for the Palme d'Or, one of the top awards at the Cannes Film Festival. With his nomination for Nebraska in 2014, Payne has been nominated for an Academy Award seven times, winning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay twice.
In 2014, the Location Managers Guild of America gave Payne an award for how well he uses locations in his films, making them feel like another character in the story.
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Payne para niños