Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1961, Alexander Payne is of Greek descent and studied at Stanford and the UCLA film school. His satirical, humane films of middle America include Citizen Ruth (1996), Election (1999), About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004), The Descendants (2011), Nebraska (2013) and The Holdovers (2023). He has won two Oscars for best adapted screenplay, for Sideways and The Descendants, and was nominated for best director for Sideways, The Descendants and Nebraska.
Filmography
- Citizen Ruth (1996)
- Election (1999) (1999)
- About Schmidt (2002)
- Sideways (2004)
- The Descendants (2011)
- Nebraska (2013)
- The Holdovers (2023)