John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He is known for writing and directing the films '' The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), '' Matewan'' (1987), '' Eight Men Out'' (1988), '' Passion Fish'' (1992), '' The Secret of Roan Inish'' (1994), '' Lone Star'' (1996), and '' Men with Guns'' (1997). For ''Eight Men Out'', Sayles was nominated for the USC Scripter Award. He has twice been nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

, for ''Passion Fish'' and ''Lone Star''. At the 56th Golden Globe Awards, ''Men with Guns'' was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His directorial debut, '' Return of the Secaucus 7'' (1980), as well as ''Matewan'' were added to the United States

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...

by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

in 1997 and 2023, respectively.

Early life

Sayles was born on September 28, 1950, in

Schenectady, New York Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

, the son of Mary ( ''née'' Rausch), a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. Both of Sayles's parents were Catholic and of half-Irish descent. Sayles has referred to himself as a "Catholic atheist". He attended

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...

with frequent collaborators Gordon Clapp and David Strathairn, as well as his longtime partner, Maggie Renzi. Sayles earned a B.A. in psychology in 1972.

Career

After college, Sayles moved to Boston where he worked a variety of blue-collar jobs while writing short stories for ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...

''. These writings culminated in his first novel, '' The Pride of the Bimbos'', published in 1975. Sayles began his film career working with

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...

, along with

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

and Ron Howard who also had stints with Corman early in their careers. Sayles was discovered by Frances Doel, who worked in the script department for Corman's New World Pictures. Sayles has been called "the greatest screenwriter to ever work at New World."

Directorial debut

In 1979, Sayles used $30,000 he earned writing scripts for Corman to fund his first film, '' Return of the Secaucus 7''. To make the film on a limited budget, he set the film in a large house so that he did not have to travel to or get permits for different locations, set the story over a three-day weekend to limit costume changes, and wrote about people his age so he could cast his friends in it. The film received near-unanimous critical acclaim at the time and has held its reputation. In November 1997, the National Film Preservation Board announced that ''Return of the Secaucus 7'' would be one of the 25 films selected that year for preservation in the

at the

. In 1983, after the films '' Baby It's You'' (starring

Rosanna Arquette Rosanna Lisa Arquette (; born August 10, 1959) is an American actress. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in the TV film '' The Executioner's Song'' (1982) and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for th ...

) and '' Lianna'' (a story in which a married woman becomes discontented with her marriage and falls in love with another woman), Sayles received a MacArthur Fellowship. He put the money into the science fiction feature '' The Brother from Another Planet'', a film about a three-toed humanoid who escapes bondage on another world and crash-lands in New York harbor; because he is Africanoid in appearance, he finds himself at home among the people of

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

, being pursued by European-looking alien enslavers

men in black In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are government agents dressed in dark suits, who question, interrogate, harass, and threaten unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses to keep them silent about what they have ...

. In 1989, Sayles created and wrote the pilot episode for the short-lived television show '' Shannon's Deal'' about a down-and-out

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

lawyer played by Jamey Sheridan. Sayles received a 1990

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards hon ...

for his

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

for the pilot. The show ran for 16 episodes before being cancelled in 1991. Sayles has funded most of his films by writing genre scripts, such as '' Piranha'', '' Alligator'', '' The Howling'', and '' The Challenge''. Having collaborated with

Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, ''Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix the 1950s-style B movie genre with Counterculture of th ...

on ''Piranha'' and ''The Howling'', Sayles acted in Dante's movie, '' Matinee''. Sayles gets the rest of his funding by working as a script doctor; he did rewrites for '' Apollo 13'' and ''

Mimic In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...

''. A genre script, called '' Night Skies'', inspired what would eventually become the film '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''. That film's director,

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

, later commissioned Sayles to write a script (unused) for the fourth ''Jurassic Park'' film. He has written and directed his own films, including '' Lone Star'', '' Passion Fish'', '' Eight Men Out'', '' The Secret of Roan Inish,'' and '' Matewan''. He serves on the advisory board for the Austin Film Society. Maggie Renzi has been John Sayles's long-time companion (and collaborator), but they have not married. Renzi has produced most of his films since ''Lianna''. They met as students at Williams College. Sayles works with a regular repertory of actors, most notably Chris Cooper, David Strathairn, and Gordon Clapp, each of whom has appeared in at least four of his films. In early 2003, Sayles signed the Not In Our Name "Statement of Conscience" (along with

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a ...

, Steve Earle,

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

, Jesse Jackson,

Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received nominations for three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Mortensen made his film debut with a small role in ...

, Bonnie Raitt,

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...

, Marisa Tomei, Susan Sarandon and others) which opposed the invasion of

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. In February 2009, Sayles was reported to be writing an

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

series based on the early life of Anthony Kiedis of the

Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...

. The drama, tentatively titled '' Scar Tissue'', centers on Kiedis's early years living in West Hollywood with his father. At that time, Kiedis's father, known as Spider, sold drugs (according to legend, his clients included

The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

and

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

) and mingled with rock stars on the Sunset Strip, all while aspiring to get into show business. In February 2010, Sayles began shooting his 17th feature film, the historical war drama '' Amigo'', in the Philippines. The film is a fictional account of events during the

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

, with a cast that includes Joel Torre, Chris Cooper, and Garret Dillahunt. His novel ''A Moment in the Sun'', set during the same period as ''Amigo'', in the Philippines, Cuba, and the U.S., was released in 2011 by McSweeney's. It includes an account of the

Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 Wilmington may refer to: Places Australia *Wilmington, South Australia, a town and locality **District Council of Wilmington, a former local government area **Wilmington railway line, a former railway line United Kingdom *Wilmington, Devon *Wi ...

in North Carolina, the only

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

in United States history in which a duly elected government was overthrown.

Legacy and honors

*1983 MacArthur Fellowship *1990 Edgar Award, for teleplay for pilot of '' Shannon's Deal'' *In June 2014, Sayles donated his non-film archive to the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. It will be accessible at the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. Sayles's film archive is held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Filmography

Film

Executive producer

* ''Little Saints'' (1999) * '' Girlfight'' (2000) * '' My Mexican Shivah'' (2007) * ''Talents'' (2015) * '' The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot'' (2018) * ''Grendel'' (TBA)

Acting roles

Television

* ''A Perfect Match'' (1980) * '' Unnatural Causes'' (1986) (television film) * '' Shannon's Deal'' (1989) (television series; also creator) * '' The Alienist'' (2018) (television series) * '' Poker Face'' (2025) (television series)

Bibliography

Novels

*'' Pride of the Bimbos'' (1975) (novel) *''Union Dues'' (1977) (novel) *''Los Gusanos'' (1991) (novel) *''A Moment in the Sun'' (2011) (novel) *''Yellow Earth'' (2020) (novel) *''Jamie MacGillivray'' (2023) (novel) *''To Save the Man'' (2025) (novel)

Collections and non-fiction

*''The Anarchists' Convention'' (1979) (short story collection) *''Thinking in Pictures: The Making of the Movie "Matewan"'' (1987) (non-fiction) *''Dillinger in Hollywood'' (2004) (short story collection)

Music videos

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

– " Born in the U.S.A." *Bruce Springsteen – " I'm on Fire" *Bruce Springsteen – " Glory Days"

Awards/nominations

Films

Awards for ''Honeydripper'': *Outstanding Independent or Foreign Film (Win) – 2008

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

*Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) (Nominated) – John Sayles – 2008 NAACP Image Awards *Top 10 Independent Films of 2007 –

National Board of Review of Motion Pictures The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the awards season, film award ...

*Best Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 2007

San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; , ) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spain, Spanish city of Donostia, Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Countr ...

(Tied with Gracia Querejeta and David Planell for Siete mesas de billar francés (2007)) Award for ''Silver City'': *Golden Seashell Award for Best Film (Nominated) – John Sayles – 2004 San Sebastián International Film Festival Awards for ''Sunshine State'': *Golden Orange Award (Win) – John Sayles – 2002 Florida Film Critics Circle Awards *Special Mention For Excellence In Filmmaking (Win) – 2002 National Board of Review Awards for ''Limbo'': *Best Director Golden Space Needle Award (Win) – John Sayles −1999

Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) is a film festival held annually in Seattle, Washington, United States, since 1976. It usually takes place in late May and/or early June. It is one of the largest festivals in the world, and feature ...

*Outstanding Indies (Win) – 1999 National Board of Review Awards for ''Men with Guns/Hombres armados'': *Best Foreign Independent Film (Nominated) – 1998

British Independent Film Awards The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports, and promotes British independent cinema and film-making talent in the United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early Nov ...

*Best Foreign Film (Nominated) – 1999 Golden Globes *Peace Award (Nominated) – 1998 Political Film Society *FIPRESCI Prize (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival *OCIC Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival *Solidarity Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival *Golden Seashell Award for Best Film (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 San Sebastián International Film Festival Awards for ''Lone Star'': *Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Academy Awards *Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

Awards *Best Screenplay, Motion Picture (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997 Golden Globes *Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

*Best Picture (Nominated) – 1997

Broadcast Film Critics Association The Critics Choice Association (CCA), formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is an association of television, radio and online critics. Their membership includes critics who review film and television. Founded in 1995, it is the l ...

Awards *Best Motion Picture Original Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 Golden Satellite Awards *Best Motion Picture – Drama (Nominated) – Maggie Renzi & R. Paul Miller – 1997 Golden Satellite Awards *Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1997

Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...

*Best Film (Win) – Lone Star – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards *Best Director (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards *Best Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Lone Star Film & Television Awards *Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Feature Film (Win) – 1996 NCLR Bravo Awards *Best Director (Win) – John Sayles – 1997 Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards Awards for ''The Secret of Roan Inish'': *Best Genre Video Release (Nominated) – 1996 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films *International Critics Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1996 Gérardmer Film Festival *Best Director (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1996 Independent Spirit Awards *Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1996 Independent Spirit Awards Awards for ''Passion Fish'': *Best Original Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1993 Academy Awards *Golden Spur Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1993 Flanders International Film Festival *Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1993 Writers Guild of America Awards for ''City of Hope'': *Critics Award (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1991

Deauville American Film Festival The Deauville American Film Festival () is a yearly film festival devoted to Cinema of the United States, American cinema, which has taken place since 1975 in Deauville, France. It was established by Lionel Chouchan, André Halimi, and then ...

*Special Award, Democracy Award (Win) – 1992 Political Film Society *Tokyo Grand Prix Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1991

Tokyo International Film Festival The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. According to the FIAPF, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals and the second largest film festival in Asia behind the ...

Awards for ''Matewan'': *Critics Award (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1987 Deauville American Film Festival *Best Director (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1988 Independent Spirit Awards *Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1988 Independent Spirit Award *Human Rights Award (Win) – 1988 Political Film Society Awards for ''The Brother from Another Planet'': *Best Screenplay Caixa de Catalunya Award (Win) – John Sayles – 1984 Catalan International Film Festival, Sitges, Spain *Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1985 USA Film Festival (later became the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

) Awards for ''Return of the Secaucus 7'': *Best Independent Film (Win) – 1981 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards *Best Screenplay (Win) – John Sayles – 1980

Los Angeles Film Critics Association The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is an American film critic organization founded in 1975. Background Its membership comprises film critics from Los Angeles–based print and electronic media. In December of each year, the organi ...

Awards *National Film Registry – 1997

, National Film Preservation Board *Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1981 Writers Guild of America *Best Screenplay (Nominated) – John Sayles – 1980 New York Film Critics Circle *Second Place – 1981 US Film Festival (later became the Sundance Film Festival)

Other recognition

Sayles's first published story, "I-80 Nebraska", won an O. Henry Award; his novel, ''Union Dues'', was nominated for a

National Book Award The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. ...

as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1983, Sayles received the John D. MacArthur Award, given to 20 Americans in diverse fields each year for their innovative work. He has also been the recipient of the Eugene V. Debs Award, the John Steinbeck Award and the John Cassavetes Award. He was honored with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Lifetime Achievement by the

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the name of two American labor unions representing writers in film, television, radio, and online media: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is headquartered in New York City and is affiliated wit ...

(1999).

Recurring collaborators

Actors who have regularly worked with Sayles include Maggie Renzi, David Strathairn, Joe Morton, Chris Cooper, Mary McDonnell, Vincent Spano, Kevin Tighe, Josh Mostel, Tom Wright, Gordon Clapp and Angela Bassett.page 6

References

External links

* (via archive.org) * *
Interview April 2007 by Cathy Pryor in the London Independent''The Rumpus'' interview
* from siffblog.com
''Cinema of Bread and Roses: An Interview with Maggie Renzi and John Sayles ''
, ''Filmmaker,'' December 18, 2023 {{DEFAULTSORT:Sayles, John 1950 births Actors from Schenectady, New York American male screenwriters American people of Irish descent Edgar Award winners Living people MacArthur Fellows Writers from Schenectady, New York Film directors from New York (state) Screenwriters from New York (state) Williams College alumni American male novelists American male short story writers Novelists from New York (state) 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American short story writers 21st-century American male writers