Biography
An ambitious film that focused on five characters interacting in a Las Vegas diner, "Coffee and Cigarettes" set the mold for his later films: multiple storylines, dazzling camerawork and a detailed emphasis on dialogue and character. Anderson was a brash and gutsy filmmaker who enjoyed tackling big themes - love, hope, family and redemption, all often combined in biblical fashion - while paradoxically allowing them to unfold intimately …
Career Milestones
| Began career working as a production assistant on music videos and independent films | ||
| Briefly attended Emerson College; dropped out to pursue film career | ||
| Raised in the San Fernando Valley in Studio City, CA | ||
1979 | Reportedly found his father's collection of pornographic tapes at age nine | |
1982 | Began making movies with a Betamax video camera purchased by his father | |
1988 | Made first amateur short film "The Dirk Diggler Story" about a male porn star | |
1990 | Worked as messenger and production assistant on syndicated game show "Quiz Kid Challenge" | |
1992 | Directed short film "Coffee and Cigarettes," starring Philip Baker Hall; film premiered at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival | |
1993 | Met Philip Baker Hall while working as a production assistant on the PBS special "Campus Culture Wars" | |
1997 | Directed breakout film "Boogie Nights," an expanded version of his early short "The Dirk Diggler Story"; starred Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, and Philip Baker Hall in minor role; earned Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay | |
1997 | Made first full-length feature "Sydney" (retitled "Hard Eight"), starring Philip Baker Hall | |
1998 | Directed two music videos featuring then-companion Fiona Apple, "Across the Universe" and "Fast as You Can" | |
1999 | Helmed third feature, the ensemble drama "Magnolia"; received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay | |
2002 | Directed "Punch-Drunk Love," starring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson; also scripted | |
2006 | Acted as standby director for Robert Altman's "A Prairie Home Companion," presumably for insurance purposes, since Altman was 80 years old at the time; not formally credited in the film, but received a "Special Thanks" | |
2007 | Helmed "There Will Be Blood," an adaptation of Upton Sinclair's novel Oil!, starring Daniel Day-Lewis; earned a DGA nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film; also received Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture | |
2012 | Wrote and directed "The Master," starring frequent ensemble player Philip Seymour Hoffman | |
Awards
1997 | Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Written Directly For the Screen) in Boogie Nights |
1997 | BAFTA Award for Original Screenplay in Boogie Nights |
1997 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best New Filmmaker in Boogie Nights |
1997 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for New Generation Award in Boogie Nights |
1997 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for New Generation Award in Hard Eight |
1998 | Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in Hard Eight |
1998 | Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay in Hard Eight |
1999 | Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Written Directly For the Screen) in Magnolia |
1999 | Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Director International in Magnolia |
1999 | Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay International in Magnolia |
2002 | Cannes Film Festival for Best Director in Punch-Drunk Love |
2002 | Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Director in Punch-Drunk Love |
2007 | Academy Award for Best Picture in There Will Be Blood |
2007 | Academy Award for Directing in There Will Be Blood |
2007 | Academy Award for Writing (Adapted Screenplay) in There Will Be Blood |
2007 | BAFTA Award for Best Film in There Will Be Blood |
2007 | BAFTA Award for Director in There Will Be Blood |
2007 | Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in There Will Be Blood |
2007 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director in There Will Be Blood |
2007 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay in There Will Be Blood |
2007 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director in There Will Be Blood |
2008 | Berlin International Film Festival for Silver Bear for Best Director in There Will Be Blood |
2012 | Venice International Film Festival for Silver Lion for Best Director in The Master |