| Alexander Payne | |
|---|---|
 Payne at the 84th Academy Awards | |
| 7 Nominations / 2 Wins | |
| Role | Director, Producer, Screenwriter |
| Born | February 10, 1961 |
| Arlington, Virginia, USA | |
Alexander Payne is an Academy Award-winning film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are best known for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society. Payne's journey into filmmaking "began in the 1960s when his father, owner of The Virginia Restaurant in downtown Omaha, received an 8mm projector from Kraft Foods as a bonus for being a good customer." A short time after getting his MFA from UCLA Film School, he got a writing/directing deal with Universal Pictures. The ensuing screenplay, which was turned down, would ultimately become About Schmidt (2002). Notable films to his credit include, Election (1999), Sideways (2004), The Descendants (2011) and Nebraska (2013).
Wins[]
- 77th Academy Awards, 2004
- Best Adapted Screenplay — Sideways (shared with Jim Taylor)
- 84th Academy Awards, 2011
- Best Adapted Screenplay — The Descendants (shared with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash)
Nominations[]
- 72nd Academy Awards, 1999
- Best Adapted Screenplay — Election (shared with Jim Taylor)
- 77th Academy Awards, 2004
- Best Adapted Screenplay — Sideways (shared with Jim Taylor)
- Best Director — Sideways
- 84th Academy Awards, 2011
- Best Adapted Screenplay — The Descendants (shared with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash)
- Best Director — The Descendants
- Best Picture — The Descendants (shared with Jim Burke and Jim Taylor)
- 86th Academy Awards, 2013
- Best Director — Nebraska
Videos[]
Sideways Wins Adapted Screenplay 2005 Oscars
Best Adapted Screenplay 2004
"The Descendants" winning Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay 2011