John Sayles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Sayles
Sayles in March 2008
Born	John Thomas Sayles (1950-09-28) September 28, 1950 (age 74) Schenectady, New York, United States
Education	Williams College
Occupation	Director screenwriter editor actor novelist
Years active	1971–present

John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American filmmaker and writer. He is known for making independent films, which means movies made outside of big Hollywood studios. John Sayles writes, directs, and sometimes even edits and acts in his own movies. He has also written books.

Some of his most famous films include The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Matewan (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), Passion Fish (1992), The Secret of Roan Inish (1994), and Lone Star (1996).

John Sayles has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay twice. This award is for the best movie script that was not based on another story. His first movie, Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980), and Matewan were chosen to be kept safe in the United States National Film Registry. This is because they are considered important films for history and culture.

Early Life and Education

John Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, on September 28, 1950. His mother, Mary, was a teacher, and his father, Donald, was a school administrator.

He went to Williams College and studied psychology, graduating in 1972. While there, he met people he would later work with, like Gordon Clapp, David Strathairn, and his longtime partner, Maggie Renzi.

Starting a Film Career

After college, John Sayles moved to Boston. He worked different jobs and wrote short stories for a magazine called The Atlantic. His first novel, The Pride of the Bimbos, was published in 1975.

Sayles began working in movies with a famous producer named Roger Corman. Corman helped many well-known directors get their start, including Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. John Sayles was known for being a great writer for Corman's film company.

Directing His First Movie

In 1979, John Sayles used $30,000 he earned from writing scripts to make his first movie, Return of the Secaucus 7. To save money, he filmed it in one large house. The story took place over a three-day weekend to limit costume changes. He also cast his friends in the movie.

The film was highly praised by critics. In 1997, it was chosen for the National Film Registry because of its importance.

In 1983, after making films like Lianna, Sayles received a special award called a MacArthur Fellowship. He used the money to make a science fiction movie called The Brother from Another Planet. This film is about an alien who looks like a human and lands in New York City.

John Sayles at the Miami Book Fair International, 2011

Sayles has often funded his own films by writing scripts for other types of movies. These include films like Piranha and Alligator. He also helped rewrite scripts for big movies like Apollo 13.

One of his early scripts, called Night Skies, even inspired the famous movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Later, the director of E.T., Steven Spielberg, asked Sayles to write a script for a Jurassic Park movie, though it was not used.

John Sayles has continued to write and direct his own films. He often works with the same actors, such as Chris Cooper, David Strathairn, and Gordon Clapp. His partner, Maggie Renzi, has produced most of his films.

In 2010, Sayles filmed his movie Amigo in the Philippines. This historical drama tells a fictional story from the Philippine–American War. His novel A Moment in the Sun, published in 2011, is also set during this time.

John Sayles's Movies and TV Shows

John Sayles has worked on many films and television shows as a director, writer, and editor.

Film Work

Executive Producer Roles

John Sayles has also been an executive producer for several films, helping to oversee their creation.

• Little Saints (1999)
• Girlfight (2000)
• My Mexican Shivah (2007)
• Talents (2015)
• The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018)

Television Work

He has also worked on television shows.

Acting Roles

John Sayles has appeared as an actor in many films and TV shows, often in small roles.

Music Videos

John Sayles has directed music videos for famous singer Bruce Springsteen.

• Bruce Springsteen – "Born in the U.S.A."
• Bruce Springsteen – "I'm on Fire"
• Bruce Springsteen – "Glory Days"

Awards and Recognition

John Sayles has received many awards and honors for his work in film and writing.

• His first published story, "I-80 Nebraska," won an O. Henry Award.
• His novel, Union Dues, was nominated for a National Book Award.
• In 1983, he received the John D. MacArthur Award. This award is given to talented Americans in different fields.
• He also received the Eugene V. Debs Award, the John Steinbeck Award, and the John Cassavetes Award.
• In 1999, the Writers Guild of America gave him the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for his lifetime achievements in writing.

His non-film writings are kept at the University of Michigan. His film work is preserved at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

See also

In Spanish: John Sayles para niños

• Night Skies – to learn more about how a planned sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind became the story for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.