Daniels (directors) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daniels
Scheinert (left) and Kwan promoting Swiss Army Man in 2016
Born	Daniel Kwan (1988-02-10) February 10, 1988 (age 37) Westborough, Massachusetts, U.S. Daniel Scheinert (1987-06-07) June 7, 1987 (age 38) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Alma mater	Emerson College (BFA)
Occupation	Film directors screenwriters producers
Years active	2007–present
Notable work	Swiss Army Man Everything Everywhere All at Once
Spouse(s)	Kwan: Kirsten Lepore ​ (m. 2016)​
Children	Kwan: 1

Daniel Kwan (born February 10, 1988) and Daniel Scheinert (born June 7, 1987) are an American filmmaking team known as the Daniels. They work together as directors, screenwriters, and producers.

The Daniels first became famous for directing creative music videos. Their videos for "Houdini" by Foster the People and "Turn Down for What" by DJ Snake and Lil Jon were so popular they were nominated for Grammy Awards.

Later, they moved into making movies. They are best known for writing and directing the unique comedy-dramas Swiss Army Man (2016) and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). Their second film was a huge success. It became the highest-earning film for the studio A24 and won the Daniels three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

Career Journey

Starting with Music Videos

Kwan and Scheinert met at Emerson College in Boston, where they both studied film. After college, they began directing music videos together in 2011 for bands like Foster the People, the Shins, and Tenacious D.

In 2018, Kwan helped start a group called We Direct Music Videos (W.D.M.V.). It's a worldwide community for music video directors that works to make sure they are treated fairly in the industry.

Making Movies and TV Shows

In 2016, the Daniels directed their first feature film, Swiss Army Man. The movie, starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe, was a quirky comedy that critics enjoyed. The duo won a Directing Award at the famous 2016 Sundance Film Festival for their work.

The Daniels have also directed episodes for several TV shows. Sometimes they worked together, and other times they directed episodes on their own for shows like Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens and Legion.

The Success of 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'

In 2017, the Daniels announced they were working on a new science-fiction movie. That film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, came out in March 2022. It stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The movie was a massive hit with both audiences and critics. It tells the story of a woman who discovers she can travel through different universes. The film won many awards, including seven Academy Awards out of eleven nominations. It won the top awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. The movie won so many awards that some sources called it the most-awarded film of all time.

Future Projects

The Daniels are very busy with new projects. In 2022, they signed a deal with the studio A24 to create TV shows. They also signed a five-year movie deal with Universal Pictures.

In 2023, it was revealed that the Daniels directed an episode of the Star Wars series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which was released in 2024. In June 2025, it was announced that they would produce a comedy written by actor Paul Dano.

Personal Lives

Daniel Kwan was born in Westborough, Massachusetts. His mother is from Taiwan and his father is from Hong Kong. He is married to filmmaker Kirsten Lepore, and they have one son. While researching for Everything Everywhere All At Once, Kwan learned about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and was later diagnosed with it himself.

Daniel Scheinert was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Oak Mountain Elementary and Middle School before going to a special high school program.

In 2023, both Kwan and Scheinert received the Alumni Award of Distinction from their college, Emerson College.

Filmography

The Daniels have created many short films, feature films, TV episodes, and music videos, both together and separately.

Feature Films

Scheinert only

Television

Kwan only

Scheinert only

Music Videos

Major Awards

The Daniels have been nominated for and won many awards for their work, especially for their film Everything Everywhere All at Once. Here are some of their most important wins.

See also

In Spanish: Daniels (directores) para niños