Paul Thomas Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Thomas Anderson
Anderson in 2022
Born	(1970-06-26) June 26, 1970 (age 54) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1988–present
Works	Full list
Partner(s)	Maya Rudolph (2001–present)
Children	4
Parent(s)	Ernie Anderson (father)
Awards	Full list

Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), often called PTA, is a famous American filmmaker. He has won many important awards for his movies. These include a BAFTA Award and nominations for 11 Academy Awards (Oscars). He has also been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards.

Anderson has won top director awards at major film festivals. He won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. He also received the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. At the Berlin Film Festival, he won both the Silver and Golden Bear awards.

Anderson's movies are often psychological dramas. They show characters who are struggling or feel alone. His films also explore families that don't get along well. He uses a special visual style with lots of camera movement. His movies often have very long shots without cuts.

Two of his films, There Will Be Blood (2007) and The Master (2012), are considered some of the best movies of the 21st century. Later films include Inherent Vice (2014), Phantom Thread (2017), and Licorice Pizza (2021).

Anderson often works with the same people on his films. These include cinematographer Robert Elswit and costume designer Mark Bridges. Composers Jon Brion and Jonny Greenwood also work with him often. He has directed music videos for artists like Fiona Apple and Radiohead. He also made a documentary called Junun (2015). Another short music film he directed is Anima (2019).

Early Life and Filmmaking Start

Growing Up in Los Angeles

Paul Thomas Anderson was born in Studio City, Los Angeles. His birthday is June 26, 1970. His father was Ernie Anderson, an actor. Ernie Anderson was known as the voice of ABC. He also played a Cleveland late-night horror host named Ghoulardi. Paul Thomas Anderson later named his production company after Ghoulardi.

Anderson has three siblings. He also has five older half-siblings from his father's first marriage. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley. He was very close with his father. His father encouraged him to become a writer or director. Anderson went to several schools, including The Buckley School.

First Steps in Film

Anderson loved filmmaking from a young age. He never thought about doing anything else. He made his first film when he was eight years old. In 1982, his father bought him a Betamax video camera. He started making films with it.

Later, he used 8 mm film, but video was easier for him. As a teenager, he began writing and trying out a Bolex 16 mm camera. For his first real movie, he used money he earned from cleaning cages at a pet store. He filmed this movie as a senior in high school.

Paul Thomas Anderson's Film Career

Starting Out in the 1990s

Anderson went to Santa Monica College. He then studied English at Emerson College for two semesters. After that, he spent only two days at New York University. He then started working as a production assistant. He worked on TV shows, films, and music videos in Los Angeles and New York City.

He felt that film school made filmmaking feel like "homework." So, he decided to make his own 20-minute film. This film would be his "college."

In 1993, Anderson made Cigarettes & Coffee. He used $10,000 for the budget. This money came from gambling winnings and his girlfriend's credit card. His father also saved some money for his college. The short film showed different stories connected by a $20 bill. It was shown at the 1993 Sundance Festival.

Anderson wanted to make the film longer. He was invited to the 1994 Sundance Feature Film Program. There, Michael Caton-Jones helped him. Caton-Jones saw that Anderson had talent but not much experience. He taught Anderson many practical lessons.

First Feature Films

At Sundance, Anderson got a deal to direct his first full-length movie. It was called Sydney, but later renamed Hard Eight. After he finished the film, the studio re-edited it. Anderson had his original version. He showed it at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.

To get his version released, he had to raise $200,000. Anderson, Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, and Gwyneth Paltrow helped with the money. His version was released, and it helped launch his career. The film is about an older gambler and a homeless man. Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman worked with Anderson on five films. Film critic Roger Ebert praised the movie's unique characters.

Anderson wrote his second film's script while working on the first one. He finished it in 1995. This film was his big hit, Boogie Nights. It came out on October 10, 1997. The movie was very popular and got great reviews. It helped Burt Reynolds' career. It also made Mark Wahlberg and Julianne Moore famous.

Boogie Nights was nominated for three awards at the 70th Academy Awards. These included Best Supporting Actor (Reynolds) and Best Supporting Actress (Moore). It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

After Boogie Nights was successful, the studio gave Anderson full creative control for his next film. He wanted to make a small, personal film. But the story "kept growing." The result was Magnolia (1999). This film tells the story of many different people in the San Fernando Valley. Anderson used music by Aimee Mann as inspiration for the film. He asked her to write eight new songs.

Magnolia was nominated for three awards at the 72nd Academy Awards. These included Best Supporting Actor (Tom Cruise) and Best Original Song for "Save Me." It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Anderson later said that Magnolia was "the best movie I'll ever make."

Films in the 2000s

Adam Sandler, Anderson, Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival

After Magnolia, Anderson decided to make a shorter film, about 90 minutes long. He worked with actor Adam Sandler. This film was ... Love (2002). It is about a businessman who falls in love with his sister's co-worker. The character in a side story was inspired by a real engineer named David Phillips.

Adam Sandler received much praise for his serious role in the film. At the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, Anderson won the Best Director Award. He was also nominated for the top prize, the Palme d'Or. Time Out magazine called it one of the best films of the 21st century.

Anderson with Daniel Day-Lewis in 2007

There Will Be Blood (2007) was partly based on the novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair. It tells the story of a tough oil prospector. He takes advantage of the Southern California oil boom in the early 1900s. The film cost $25 million to make and earned $76.1 million worldwide.

At the 80th Academy Awards, There Will Be Blood was nominated for eight awards. Anderson was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Daniel Day-Lewis won the Oscar for Best Actor. Robert Elswit won for Best Cinematography. Many critics called There Will Be Blood one of the greatest films of its time.

Work in the 2010s

In 2009, Anderson started working on a new film. It was about a "charismatic intellectual" who starts a new religion in the 1950s. The idea for this film had been in his mind for twelve years. The Master was released on September 14, 2012. It received great reviews.

The film is about a World War II veteran. He meets the leader of a religious group. Many people thought the film was based on Scientology. At the 85th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for three awards. These included Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Best Supporting Actor (Hoffman), and Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams).

Anderson then made a film based on Thomas Pynchon's novel Inherent Vice. Filming took place from May to August 2013. This was the first time Pynchon allowed his work to be made into a movie. Anderson worked with Joaquin Phoenix again. The film also starred Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, and Josh Brolin.

After its release in December 2014, Inherent Vice was nominated for two awards at the 87th Academy Awards. These were for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Costume Design.

Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where Junun was filmed

In 2015, Anderson directed Junun. This was a documentary about making an album. The album was created by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood, producer Nigel Godrich, and Indian musicians. Most of the music was recorded at the 15th-century Mehrangarh Fort in Rajasthan, India. Junun was first shown at the 2015 New York Film Festival.

Anderson's eighth film was Phantom Thread (2017). It is set in the London fashion world. Daniel Day-Lewis starred in what he said would be his last film role. The cast also included Lesley Manville and Vicky Krieps. The film was nominated for six awards at the 90th Academy Awards. It won one for Best Costume Design.

In 2019, Anderson directed a short music film called Anima. It starred Radiohead singer Thom Yorke. The film featured music from Yorke's album Anima. It was shown in IMAX theaters and released on Netflix. It was nominated for Best Music Film at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

Recent Work in the 2020s

Anderson's ninth film, Licorice Pizza, came out in December 2021. It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay at the 94th Academy Awards. The film is about a teenage actor who falls in love with a photography assistant.

In 2022, Anderson helped rewrite parts of Ridley Scott's 2023 film Napoleon. He did this after the main actor, Joaquin Phoenix, who had worked with Anderson before, thought about leaving the project.

In January 2024, it was announced that Anderson was making a new film. It will star Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, and Sean Penn. Filming began in California that month. The movie is expected to have a budget of $100 million. In February, Alana Haim and Teyana Taylor also joined the cast.

Other Creative Projects

In 2000, Anderson wrote and directed a short segment for Saturday Night Live. It was called "SNL FANatic." In 2005, he was a standby director for Robert Altman's film A Prairie Home Companion. This was for insurance, as Altman was 80 years old.

In 2008, Anderson co-wrote and directed a 70-minute play. It was shown at the Largo Theatre. The play had short scenes starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen. Jon Brion provided live music.

Anderson has directed many music videos. He has worked with artists like Fiona Apple, Radiohead, and Haim. In 2017, he directed a short film for Haim called Valentine. It featured three musical performances. In 2023, he worked with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood again. He directed videos for their band the Smile.

Influences and Filmmaking Style

Who Inspired Paul Thomas Anderson?

Anderson only went to film school for two days. He preferred to learn by watching films. He would watch movies by directors he admired. He also listened to their audio commentaries.

He has said that many directors influenced him. These include Robert Altman, Jonathan Demme, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese. He also learned from Steven Spielberg and Orson Welles.

Themes and Visual Style

Anderson's films are often set in the San Fernando Valley. They feature characters who are real and sometimes struggling. His movies often explore themes like families that don't work well. They also look at feeling alone, regret, and finding forgiveness.

Anderson's films have a strong visual style. He often uses cameras that are always moving. He also uses Steadicam-based long takes, which are very long shots without cuts. Music is also used in a memorable way in his films.

His first three films, Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia, explored themes of struggling families and loneliness. Boogie Nights and Magnolia were known for having many main actors. Anderson returned to this style in Inherent Vice.

There Will Be Blood was different from his earlier films. But it still had similar themes and style. These included complex characters, moving cameras, and memorable music. This film also looked at capitalism and themes like ambition. The Master explored ideas about American identity and mentor-student relationships. All of his films deal with American themes.

Working with Others

Philip Seymour Hoffman appeared in five of Anderson's films.

Anderson often works with the same actors and crew members. He calls his regular actors "my little rep company." These include John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Julianne Moore, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman acted in Anderson's first four films and The Master.

Robert Elswit was the cinematographer for most of Anderson's films. However, Mihai Mălaimare Jr. shot The Master. Phantom Thread had no credited cinematographer. Dylan Tichenor edited several of his films, including Boogie Nights and Phantom Thread. Anderson also regularly works with producers like JoAnne Sellar and Scott Rudin.

Paul Thomas Anderson Filmography

Paul Thomas Anderson's Personal Life

Anderson is a vegan.

He has been in a relationship with actress and comedian Maya Rudolph since November 2001. They live in the San Fernando Valley. They have four children together.

Awards and Recognition

Paul Thomas Anderson has been called "one of the most exciting talents" in filmmaking. He is seen as "among the supreme talents of today." After his films Boogie Nights and Magnolia, he was praised as a "wunderkind" (a very talented young person).

In 2007, the American Film Institute called him "one of American film's modern masters." In 2012, The Guardian ranked him number one on its list of "The 23 Best Film Directors in the World." They said his dedication to filmmaking was very strong.

Other directors have also praised him. Ingmar Bergman mentioned Magnolia as an example of strong American cinema. Sam Mendes called Anderson "a true auteur" and a "genius." Ben Affleck compared Anderson to Orson Welles.

As of 2024, Anderson is the only person to win all three top director prizes from the three major international film festivals. These are the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice film festivals.

Images for kids

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  Anderson in 2022

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  Adam Sandler, Anderson, Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival

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  Anderson with Daniel Day-Lewis in 2007

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  Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where Junun was filmed

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  Philip Seymour Hoffman appeared in five of Anderson's films.