Alexander Payne
Biography
Alexander Payne is an Oscar-winning filmmaker and director born on February 10, 1961, in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Known in the industry by the full name Constantine Alexander Payne, his work has helped define modern-day American cinema. His notable feature films include Election, Sideways, The Descendants, About Schmidt, Nebraska, and The Holdovers. Payne's movies have received a total of 24 Academy Award nominations, featuring four Best Picture nods and three Best Director nods. He is a two-time Oscar winner for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sideways and The Descendants, and two of his films have won the Golden Globe for Best Picture. Additionally, his most recent film, The Holdovers, earned a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Career overview
Alexander Payne, born Constantine Alexander Payne on February 10, 1961, in Omaha, Nebraska, is a filmmaker known for his directing work in modern-day American cinema. His known credits include 42 entries on the Movie Database, and his work has helped define the contemporary film landscape. Among his recognized directorial features are Election released in 1999, About Schmidt in 2002, Sideways in 2004, The Descendants in 2011, Nebraska in 2013, and The Holdovers in 2023. Five of his movies were shot according to the provided data.
His films have accumulated a total of 24 Academy Award nominations, which includes four nominations for Best Picture and three nominations for Best Director. Payne has personally won two Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on Sideways and The Descendants. Additionally, two of his films have won the Golden Globe award for Best Picture, and his film The Holdovers earned a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for actor Da'Vine Joy Randolph.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
60 titles- Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern (2026)
- The Holdovers (2023) Director
- Frank Capra: Mr. America (2023) as Self - Director and Screenwriter
- Christoph Waltz - The Charm of Evil (2021) as Self
- Berlanga!! (2021) as Self - Filmmaker
- The Last Shift (2020) Executive Producer
- Small Town Wisconsin (2020) Executive Producer
- Hal (2019) as Self
- Downsizing (2017) Director
- Downsizing (2017) Screenplay
- Downsizing (2017) Producer
- Crash Pad (2017) Executive Producer
- About a Trip: Alexander Payne on Hal Ashby's 'The Last Detail' (2017)
- Election - "The Passion of Martin" Introduction (2017) as Himself
- Program Notes: An Introduction To The Last Detail By Alexander Payne (2017) as Self
- Program Notes: An Introduction To The Last Detail By Alexander Payne (2017) Writer
- Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014) Executive Producer
- Nebraska (2013) Director
- Trespassing Bergman (2013) as Self
- The Descendants (2011) Director
- The Descendants (2011) Screenplay
- The Descendants (2011) Producer
- Cedar Rapids (2011) Producer
- Hung (2009) Director
- Hung (2009) Executive Producer
- Sideways (2009) Story
- Sideways (2009) Executive Producer
- The Replacement Child (2008) Thanks
- I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) Screenplay
- King of California (2007) Producer
- The Savages (2007) Executive Producer
- Gray Matters (2007) Executive Producer
- Paris Je T'aime (2006) as Oscar Wilde (segment " Pere-Lachaise")
- Paris Je T'aime (2006) Director
- Paris Je T'aime (2006) Writer
- 14e Arrondissement (2006) Director
- Cinema16: American Short Films (2006) Director
- Sideways (2004) Director
- Sideways (2004) Screenplay
- The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004) as Self
- The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) Executive Producer
- Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) as Self
- About Schmidt (2002) Director
- About Schmidt (2002) Screenplay
- Jurassic Park III (2001) Writer
- Election (1999) Director
- Election (1999) Screenplay
- Citizen Ruth (1996) Director
- Citizen Ruth (1996) Screenplay
- Inside Out 3 (1992) Director
- Inside Out (1991) Writer
- Inside Out (1991) Director
- The Passion of Martin (1991) Director
- The Passion of Martin (1991) Screenplay
- The Passion of Martin (1991) Editor
- The Passion of Martin (1991) Producer
- Carmen (1985) Director
- Carmen (1985) Music
- Somewhere Out There Director
- Untitled Alexander Payne Western Director
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Alexander Payne best known for?
Alexander Payne is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern (2026), The Holdovers (2023), Downsizing (2017), Downsizing (2017).
When and where was Alexander Payne born?
Alexander Payne was born on February 10, 1961 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
How many credits does Alexander Payne have?
Alexander Payne has accumulated over 60 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1985 to 2026.
What is Alexander Payne's background in cinema and television?
Alexander Payne is an Oscar-winning filmmaker and director born on February 10, 1961, in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Known in the industry by the full name Constantine Alexander Payne, his work has helped define modern-day American cinema. His notable feature films include Election, Sideways, The Descendants, About Schmidt, ...
Alexander Payne by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Paris Je T'aime (2006) as Oscar Wilde (segment " Pere-Lachaise") — aged about 45
- Trespassing Bergman (2013) as Self — aged about 52
- Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern (2026) — aged about 65
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