Alexander Payne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexander Payne
Payne in 2024
Born	Constantine Alexander Payne (1961-02-10) February 10, 1961 (age 64) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Citizenship	United States Greece
Education	Stanford University (BA) University of California, Los Angeles (MFA)
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Sandra Oh ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2006)​ Maria Kontos ​ ​ (m. 2015; div. 2022)​
Children	1
Awards	Full list

Constantine Alexander Payne (born February 10, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for making movies that often use humor to look at American society. Alexander Payne has won many important awards. These include two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars), a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. He was even nominated for a Grammy Award.

Payne started his career by directing several short films. His first full-length movie was the comedy Citizen Ruth (1996). He gained more fame with Election (1999). For this film, he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also directed the comedy-drama About Schmidt (2002). Payne won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay twice. He won for co-writing his films Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011). He was also nominated for Best Director for these two films. His road trip movie Nebraska (2013) also earned him a Best Director nomination. More recently, he directed Downsizing (2017) and The Holdovers (2023).

Alexander Payne's 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. He grew up in the Dundee neighborhood of Omaha. His family has Greek roots. His grandfather, Nicholas Payne, changed the family name from "Papadopoulos." His family came from different parts of Greece.

Payne's family was an important part of the Omaha community. His grandfather started The Virginia Cafe restaurant. Alexander's father later took over the business. Alexander often visited the restaurant as a child. The restaurant was destroyed in a fire in 1969. The W. Dale Clark Library was later built where the restaurant used to be.

In Omaha, Payne went to Brownell-Talbot School and Dundee Elementary School. He also attended Lewis and Clark Junior High. He graduated from Creighton Prep in 1979. In high school, he wrote a humor column for the school newspaper. He was also the editor of the school yearbook.

After high school, Payne went to Stanford University. He studied Spanish and History there. As part of his Spanish studies, he spent time at Spain's University of Salamanca. He also lived in Medellin, Colombia, for a few months. There, he wrote an article about social changes. In 1990, Payne earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from the UCLA Film School.

When Alexander was about 14, his father gave him a Super 8mm projector. His father had received it as a gift from Kraft Foods. This early exposure to film might have sparked his interest in movies.

Alexander Payne's Film Career

Starting Out in Film (1985-1996)

After finishing film school at UCLA, Alexander Payne's student film, The Passion of Martin, got attention. This led to a writing and directing deal with Universal Pictures. He wrote a screenplay that was later turned down. This script eventually became his film About Schmidt. He earned enough money from this deal to support himself for about five years.

Payne then co-wrote and directed his first full-length movie, Citizen Ruth (1996). This film is a comedy starring Laura Dern, Kelly Preston, and Burt Reynolds. It premiered at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival. Critics liked the movie. Janet Maslin from The New York Times praised its "lively, gutsy satire."

Becoming a Famous Director (1999-2013)

Payne at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012

His second film, Election, came out in 1999. It stars Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. The movie makes fun of politics and school life in America. David Denby, a film critic for The New Yorker, called it the best film of 1999. Payne was nominated for his first Oscar for writing Election. Film critic Roger Ebert praised the movie and Reese Witherspoon's acting. Election became a very popular film over time. It was even ranked among the funniest and best high school movies. President Barack Obama has said it's his favorite political film.

In 2002, Payne released About Schmidt. This movie is about a man who retires and goes on a trip to his daughter's wedding. It stars Jack Nicholson as Warren Schmidt. The script was based on a book. The film also featured Kathy Bates. About Schmidt was shown at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and received great reviews. Many critics especially liked Jack Nicholson's performance. Payne won a Golden Globe award for the screenplay.

In 2004, Payne directed Sideways. This film follows two middle-aged friends on a road trip through California's wine country. They are celebrating one friend's upcoming wedding. The movie stars Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church. Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh also appear in the film. Sideways was a big hit at the Toronto International Film Festival. Roger Ebert called it "the best human comedy of the year." Payne won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sideways. The film also won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. It received five Oscar nominations in total, including Best Picture.

After a break from directing, Payne returned in 2011 with The Descendants. This movie is about a man dealing with his wife's serious accident. It stars George Clooney. Shailene Woodley also has a key role. The film premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and was highly praised. Critics loved George Clooney's acting. Payne, along with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for this film.

Payne at the Munich Film Festival (2015)

In 2013, Payne directed Nebraska. This film stars veteran actor Bruce Dern and Will Forte. It tells the story of an elderly man and his son on a journey. The movie was highly praised by critics. David Edlestein of NPR called it a "superb balancing act." The film was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Payne also received a nomination for Best Director.

Later Films (2017-Present)

Payne had been working on a film called Downsizing for many years. He described it as a "science-fiction social satire." The story is about a couple who decide to shrink themselves to live a better life. The film stars Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig. It was released in 2017. The movie received mixed reviews from critics.

Payne with Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Paul Giamatti at a screening of The Holdovers (2024) in London

In 2021, it was announced that Payne would direct Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2023. It received widespread praise from critics. Many compared it to classic films from the 1970s. Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter called it "an engaging and often touching comic drama."

While promoting The Holdovers, Payne shared that he is working on a Western film. He said he has always wanted to make a Western. The movie is planned to be set in 1886 in Custer County, Nebraska. Paul Giamatti is expected to be in it. Payne also plans to direct a Danish-language film in Denmark.

How Alexander Payne Makes Movies

Alexander Payne often sets his films in Omaha, his hometown. His movies sometimes show famous places, old black and white photos, and museums. He also likes to use people who are not professional actors for smaller roles.

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.

In 2005, he became a member of the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the group that gives out the Oscars.

Alexander Payne's Life Outside Film

Family Life

Alexander Payne married Canadian actress Sandra Oh in 2003. They had been dating for three years. They separated in 2005 and their divorce was finalized in 2006. In 2015, Payne married Maria Kontos. He met her in Greece, where some of his family came from. They had a daughter in 2017. They divorced in 2022. In 2022, he also became a Greek citizen.

Giving Back and Other Interests

Payne is on the Board of Directors for Film Streams. This is a non-profit movie theater in Omaha. He cares a lot about preserving old buildings. He helped save a historic movie theater in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Payne used to be a co-owner of King Fong, a Chinese restaurant in Omaha. It is now closed.

He is also a supporter of the Nebraska Coast Connection. This group helps people from Nebraska connect in California. In 2013, he showed his film Nebraska to the group.

Movies and TV Shows

Short films

Feature films

Television

Awards and Achievements

Alexander Payne has won many awards throughout his career. These include two Academy Awards (Oscars), 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.

Oscar-nominated performances in Payne's films

Payne has directed many actors who have been nominated for Oscars.

In 2012, Alexander Payne was chosen to be a judge for the main film competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. His 2013 film Nebraska was nominated for the Palme d'Or, the top award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. With his Oscar nomination for Nebraska in 2014, Payne has been nominated seven times for an Oscar. He has won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay twice.

In 2014, the Location Managers Guild of America gave Payne the first-ever Eva Monley Award. This award recognized his excellent use of real places in his films, making them feel like characters themselves.

Images for kids

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  Payne in 2024

See also

In Spanish: Alexander Payne para niños