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John Sayles Biography (1950-)

Full name, John Thomas Sayles; born September 28, 1950, in Schenectady, NY; son of Donald John (a school administrator) and Mary (a teacher; maiden name,Rausch) Sayles; companion of Maggie Renzi (a producer and actress). Addresses: Agent: Stuart Robinson, Paradigm, 10100 Santa Monica Blvd., 25th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067-4003.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Writer, director, film editor, actor

Birth Details

September 28, 1950

Schenectady, New York, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Work
• Director
• The Return of the Secaucus 7, Libra, 1980
• Baby, It's You, Paramount, 1983
• Lianna, United Artists Classics, 1983
• The Brother from Another Planet, Cinecom International, 1984
• Matewan, Cinecom International, 1987
• Eight Men Out, Cinecom International, 1988
• City of Hope, Samuel Goldwyn, 1991
• Passion Fish, Miramax, 1992
• The Secret of Roan Inish, First Look Pictures Releasing, 1995
• Lone Star, Columbia/TriStar, 1996
• Men with Guns (also known as Hombres armados), Sony Pictures Classics, 1997
• Limbo, Screen Gems, 1999
• Casa de los Babys, 2002
• Sunshine State, Sony Pictures Classics, 2002
• Executive Producer
• Santitos (also known as Esperanza et ses saints), 1997
• Girlfight, Screen Gems, 2000
• Editor
• The Return of the Secaucus 7, Libra, 1980
• Lianna, United Artists Classics, 1983
• The Brother from Another Planet, Cinecom International, 1984
• City of Hope, Samuel Goldwyn, 1991
• Passion Fish, Miramax, 1992
• The Secret of Roan Inish, First Look Pictures Releasing, 1995
• Lone Star, Columbia/TriStar, 1996
• Men with Guns (also known as Hombres armados), Sony Pictures Classics, 1997
• Limbo, Screen Gems, 1999
• Sunshine State, Sony Pictures Classics, 2002
• Film Appearances
• Army sentry, Piranha, New World Pictures, 1978
• Howie, The Return of the Secaucus 7, Libra, 1980
• Morgue attendant, The Howling, Avco-Embassy, 1981
• Jerry, Lianna, United Artists Classics, 1983
• Bounty hunter, The Brother from Another Planet, Cinecom International, 1984
• Don, Hard Choices, Lorimar, 1986
• Motorcycle cop, Something Wild (also known as Dangereuse sous tous rapports), Orion, 1986
• Hardshell preacher, Matewan, Cinecom International, 1987
• Ring Lardner, Eight Men Out, Cinecom International, 1988
• Military high commissioner, Untamagiru, Parco, 1989
• La fine della notte, Pagnoni, 1989
• Mike, Little Vegas, IRS Releasing, 1990
• Carl, City of Hope, Samuel Goldwyn, 1991
• Doctor in soap opera, Passion Fish, Miramax, 1992
• F.B.I. agent, Malcolm X, Warner Bros., 1992
• Guy Girardi, Straight Talk, Buena Vista, 1992
• Bob, Matinee, Universal, 1993
• Marginal producer, My Life's in Turnaround, Arrow, 1993
• First police officer, Gridlock'd, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, 1997
• Himself, American Storytellers (documentary), Clearwater Pictures/Magnum Independent Pictures, 2000
• Science teacher, Girlfight, Screen Gems, 2000
• Television Appearances
• Miniseries
• Naked Hollywood, Arts & Entertainment, 1991
• Baseball, PBS, 1994
• Episodic
• Roy "Lefty" Cobbs, "The Case of the Unnatural," Mathnet, PBS, 1992
• The Panel, 10 Network, 1999
• Also appeared in an episode of Independent Focus, Independent FilmChannel.
• Other
• Lloyd, Unnatural Causes (movie), NBC, 1986
• Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western (special), TNT, 1997
• Television Work
• Director; Episodic
• Shannon's Deal, NBC, episodes between 1990 and 1991
• Other
• (Creator) Shannon's Deal (series), NBC, 1989
• Also associated with the special Mountain View.
• Stage Work
• Director
• New Hope for the Dead (one-act), Boat Basin Theatre, New York City, 1981
• Turnbuckle (one-act), Boat Basin Theatre, 1981
• RECORDINGS
• Videos
• Film-Fest DVD: Issue 2--Cannes, Broadcast DVD, 1999
• WRITINGS
• Screenplays
• (And story) Piranha, New World Pictures, 1978
• The Lady in Red (also known as Guns, Sin, and Bathtub Gin and Kiss Me and Die), New World Pictures, 1979
• (Author of story) Battle beyond the Stars, New World Pictures, 1980
• The Return of the Secaucus 7, Libra, 1980
• (And story with Frank Ray Perilli) Alligator, BLC, 1981
• (With Terence H. Winkless) The Howling (based on a novel by Gary Brandner), Avco-Embassy, 1981
• (With Richard Maxwell) The Challenge (also known as Equalsand Sword of the Ninja), CBS Entertainment Productions, 1982
• Baby, It's You (adapted from story by Amy Robinson), Paramount, 1983
• Lianna, United Artists Classics, 1983
• The Brother from Another Planet, Cinecom International, 1984
• The Clan of the Cave Bear (based on a novel by Jean Auel), WarnerBros., 1986
• Matewan, Cinecom International, 1987
• (And story with Larry Stamper) Wild Thing, Atlantic, 1987
• Eight Men Out (adapted from book by Eliot Asinof), Cinecom International, 1988
• Breaking In, Samuel Goldwyn, 1989
• City of Hope, Samuel Goldwyn, 1991
• Passion Fish, Miramax, 1992
• Bedlam, 1994
• (With Ethan Rieff and Cyrus Voris) Men of War (also known as ASafe Place, Soldiers of Fortune, and Hombres de acero), Miramax, 1994
• Apollo 13, Universal, 1995
• The Quick and the Dead, Columbia/TriStar, 1995
• The Secret of Roan Inish (based on the novel Secret of the RonMor Skerry, by Rosalie K. Fry), First Look Pictures Releasing, 1995
• Lone Star, Columbia/TriStar, 1996
• Men with Guns (also known as Hombres armados), Sony Pictures Classics, 1997
• Mimic (also known as Judas), Dimension, 1997
• Alligatropolis, 1999
• Limbo, Screen Gems, 1999
• Casa de los Babys, 2002
• Sunshine State, Sony Pictures Classics, 2002
• Film Music
• Songs
• "Homeboy" and "Promised Land," The Brother from Another Planet, Cinecom International, 1984
• "I Be Blue," Eight Men Out, Cinecom International, 1988
• "Calle Loca," City of Hope, Samuel Goldwyn, 1991
• "Guide Us to Thy Side," The Newton Boys, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998
• Teleplays
• Movies
• A Perfect Match, CBS, 1980
• (With Susan Rice) Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (also knownas Enormous Changes and Trumps; based on stories by Grace Paley), ABC, 1983
• Unnatural Causes, NBC, 1986
• Pilots
• Shannon's Deal, NBC, 1989
• Television Music
• Lyrics; Pilots
• Shannon's Deal, NBC, 1989
• Stage Plays
• New Hope for the Dead (one-act), produced at Boat Basin Theatre, New York City, 1981
• Turnbuckle (one-act), produced at Boat Basin Theatre, 1981
• Novels
• The Pride of the Bimbos, Little, Brown (Boston), 1975
• Union Dues, Little, Brown, 1977
• Los Gusanos, HarperCollins (New York City), 1991
• Short Stories
• The Anarchists' Convention and Other Stories (contains "Breed," "Golden State," "Hoop," "I-80 Nebraska," and "M.490-M.205"), Little, Brown (Boston), 1979
• Nonfiction
• Thinking in Pictures: The Making of the Movie "Matewan," HoughtonMifflin (Boston), 1987
• (With Gavin Smith) Sayles on Sayles (interviews), Faber & Faber, 1998
• Contributor of short stories and articles to periodicals, including Atlantic, Esquire, Film Comment, New Republic, and Rolling Stone.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• Contemporary Authors New Revision Series, Volume 41, Gale, 1993
• International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, St. James Press, 1996
• Molyneaux, Gerry, John Sayles: An Unauthorized Biography, Renaissance Books, 2000
• Ryan, Jack, John Sayles, Filmmaker: A Critical Study of the Independent Writer-Director; with a Filmography and a Bibliography, McFarland and Co., 1998
• Sayles, John, and Gavin Smith, Sayles on Sayles, Faber & Faber, 1998

Periodicals

• American Film, June, 1991, pp. 18-23, 49-50
• Booklist, March 15, 1998, p. 1194
• Chicago Tribune, March 2, 1981; August 20, 1985; September 2, 1988
• Cineaste, summer, 1996, p. 14; fall, 1999, p. 28
• Entertainment Weekly, December 1, 1995, p. 89; June 21, 1996, p. 47; December 27, 1996, p. 38; November/December, 1997, p. 64
• Globe and Mail (Toronto), June 15, 1991
• Insight on the News, August 19, 1996, p. 36
• Los Angeles Times, October 11, 1984; October 20, 1984; January 24,1986; September 11, 1987, pp. 1, 26; October 25, 1987, pp. 3-5, 99-100; September 2, 1988
• National Catholic Reporter, April 10, 1998, p. 20
• New Statesman and Society, November 15, 1991, p. 37; September 18,1998, p. 39
• New York Times, August 9, 1977; September 3, 1979, p. C12; April 11, 1980; April 11, 1985; January 17, 1986; August 23, 1987; August 28, 1987;October 9, 1989
• New York Times Biographical Service, September, 1981, p. 1275
• Playboy, July, 1996, p. 22
• Premiere, July, 1996, pp. 40, 49-51; July, 1999, pp. 90-95, 110; May, 2002, p. 88
• Sight and Sound, Volume 6, number 9, 1996
• Time, January 25, 1993, p. 69
• Washington Post, November 16, 1984, pp. C1, C4; February 25, 1986;October 15, 1987; October 16, 1987; September 2, 1988