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Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson

Known For Directing
Birthday Jun 26, 1970 (55)
Birthplace Studio City, California, USA
Popularity 2 (history)
Updated May 23, 2026
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. Often described as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation, he is the recipient of three Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, four BAFTAs, three Critics Choice Awards, and nomination ... s for a Grammy. He is the only person to have won the Academy Award for Best Director, as well as the Best Director Awards at the Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and the Berlin International Film Festival. In addition to those accolades, he won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Many of Anderson's films are psychological dramas characterized by depictions of desperate characters and explorations of dysfunctional families, alienation, loneliness, and redemption, alongside a bold visual style that uses constantly moving cameras and long takes. After his directorial debut, Hard Eight (1996), Anderson had critical and commercial success with Boogie Nights (1997), and received further accolades with Magnolia (1999) and Punch-Drunk Love (2002). There Will Be Blood (2007), Anderson's fifth film, is regarded as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. It was followed by The Master (2012) and Inherent Vice (2014), an adaptation of the 2009 novel by Thomas Pynchon. Anderson's next three films, Phantom Thread (2017), Licorice Pizza (2021) and One Battle After Another (2025) were all nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director, while the last earned him wins for both and Best Adapted Screenplay and became his highest-grossing film. Anderson is noted for his collaborations with the cinematographer Robert Elswit, the costume designer Mark Bridges, the composers Jon Brion and Jonny Greenwood, and actors including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Daniel Day-Lewis, John C. Reilly, and Joaquin Phoenix. He has directed music videos for artists including Fiona Apple, Haim, Aimee Mann, Joanna Newsom, Michael Penn, Radiohead, and the Smile. He also directed a 2015 documentary about Greenwood's album Junun, and the short music film Anima (2019) for the Radiohead singer Thom Yorke. Description above from the Wikipedia article Paul Thomas Anderson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

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Filmography

Minority Report

Minority Report

2002

as Bus Passenger (uncredited)

Magnolia

Magnolia

1999

as Man Confiscating Sign (uncredited)

Beau Is Afraid

Beau Is Afraid

2023

Thanks

Napoleon

Napoleon

2023

Script Consultant

Licorice Pizza

Licorice Pizza

2021

Director of Photography, Writer

The Dead Don't Die

The Dead Don't Die

2019

Thanks

Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh

Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh

2018

Additional Second Assistant Director

Phantom Thread

Phantom Thread

2017

Director of Photography, Writer

Junun

Junun

2015

Camera Operator

Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice

2014

Writer

The Master

The Master

2012

Writer

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood

2007

Writer

Couch

Couch

2003

Writer

Punch-Drunk Love

Punch-Drunk Love

2002

Writer

Corky Romano

Corky Romano

2001

Script Editor

Magnolia

Magnolia

1999

Writer

Flagpole Special

Flagpole Special

1998

Writer

Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights

1997

Writer

Hard Eight

Hard Eight

1996

Screenplay

Cigarettes & Coffee

Cigarettes & Coffee

1993

Writer

The Dirk Diggler Story

The Dirk Diggler Story

1988

Director of Photography, Writer

One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another

2025

Director

Licorice Pizza

Licorice Pizza

2021

Director

Anima

Anima

2019

Director

HAIM / Valentine

HAIM / Valentine

2017

Director

Phantom Thread

Phantom Thread

2017

Director

Junun

Junun

2015

Director

Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice

2014

Director

The Master

The Master

2012

Director

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood

2007

Director

Mattress Man Commercial

Mattress Man Commercial

2003

Director

Couch

Couch

2003

Director

Punch-Drunk Love

Punch-Drunk Love

2002

Director

Magnolia

Magnolia

1999

Director

Flagpole Special

Flagpole Special

1998

Director

Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights

1997

Director

Hard Eight

Hard Eight

1996

Director

Cigarettes & Coffee

Cigarettes & Coffee

1993

Director

Production Assistant

Production Assistant

1992

Director

The Dirk Diggler Story

The Dirk Diggler Story

1988

Director

One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another

2025

Producer

Licorice Pizza

Licorice Pizza

2021

Producer

Anima

Anima

2019

Producer

Waterlily Jaguar

Waterlily Jaguar

2018

Executive Producer

Phantom Thread

Phantom Thread

2017

Producer

Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice

2014

Producer

The Master

The Master

2012

Producer

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood

2007

Producer

Punch-Drunk Love

Punch-Drunk Love

2002

Producer

Magnolia

Magnolia

1999

Producer

Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights

1997

Producer

Organization Category Movie
Academy Awards Best Director There Will Be Blood Nominated
Academy Awards Best Director Phantom Thread Nominated
Golden Globes Best Director There Will Be Blood Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Director Magnolia Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Director There Will Be Blood Nominated
Venice Film Festival Best Director The Master Nominated
BAFTA Awards Best Director Licorice Pizza Nominated
Television Credits

No data available

The Oscars

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 19, 1953

Leçon de Cinéma

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 20, 2004

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 5 11 15 8
2024 6 11 21 5
2024 7 13 18 8
2024 8 9 14 6
2024 9 5 11 3
2024 10 7 13 5
2024 11 6 9 3
2024 12 10 16 4
2025 1 12 18 6
2025 2 9 13 1
2025 3 3 13 0
2025 4 1 1 0
2025 5 2 3 1
2025 6 1 2 0
2025 7 1 1 1
2025 8 1 2 0
2025 9 2 5 1
2025 10 3 5 1
2025 11 2 3 1
2025 12 2 2 2
2026 1 3 7 2
2026 2 2 3 1
2026 3 3 11 1
2026 5 2 2 1

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2024 5 508 231
2024 6 331 29
2024 7 373 349
2024 12 438 70
2025 1 474 38
2025 2 544 100
2025 3 467 179
2025 7 440 107
2025 8 304 31
2025 9 188 4
2025 10 150 6
2025 11 369 53
2025 12 262 15
2026 1 232 4
2026 2 349 6
2026 3 241 6
2026 5 501 177

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