
Todd Haynes
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1961-01-02 (64 years old)
Place of Birth
Los Angeles, California, USA
Todd Haynes
Biography
Todd Haynes (/heɪnz/; born January 2, 1961; Los Angeles) is an American filmmaker. His films span four decades with themes examining the personalities of well-known musicians, dysfunctional and dystopian societies, and blurred gender roles.
Haynes first gained public attention with his controversial short film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987), which chronicles singer Karen Carpenter's life and death, using Barbie dolls as actors. Superstar became a cult classic. Haynes's feature directorial debut, Poison (1991), a provocative exploration of AIDS-era queer perceptions and subversions, established him as a figure of a new transgressive cinema. Poison won the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize and is regarded as a seminal work of New Queer Cinema.
Haynes received further acclaim for his second feature film, Safe (1995), a symbolic portrait of a housewife who develops multiple chemical sensitivity. Safe was later voted the best film of the 1990s by The Village Voice Film Poll. His next feature, Velvet Goldmine (1998), is a tribute to the 1970s glam rock era. The film received the Special Jury Prize for Best Artistic Contribution at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
Haynes gained acclaim and a measure of mainstream success with Far from Heaven (2002) earning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He continued to direct critically lauded films such as I'm Not There (2007), Carol (2015), Wonderstruck (2017) and Dark Waters (2019). He directed his first feature-length documentary, The Velvet Underground (2021). Haynes directed and co-wrote the HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce (2011) for which he was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards.
Acting
(2022)
(2019)
At the Video Store
as Self
(2019)
(2016)
(2009)
Great Directors
as Self
(2006)
(2006)
(2006)
(2006)
Infinite Pleasure: Todd Haynes on Max Ophuls' Le Plaisir
as Interviewee
(1995)
At Sundance
as Self
(1992)
Swoon
as Phrenology Head
(1989)
He Was Once
as Randy
(1989)
Natural History
as Child
(1987)
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story
as Todd Donovan
(1985)
Crew
(2023)
May December
Director
(2023)
Image Book
Director
(2023)
Earthlings
Executive Producer
(2021)
The Velvet Underground
Writer, Director, Producer
(2021)
(2019)
Dark Waters
Director
(2019)
Earthquake Bird
Thanks
(2017)
Wonderstruck
Director
(2016)
Certain Women
Executive Producer
(2015)
Carol
Director
(2014)
Night Moves
Executive Producer
(2014)
Still Alice
Thanks
(2013)
Six by Sondheim
Director
(2013)
Buoy
Executive Producer
(2011)
Meek's Cutoff
Executive Producer
(2008)
Wendy and Lucy
Executive Producer
(2007)
I'm Not There
Director, Screenplay, Story
(2006)
Quinceañera
Executive Producer
(2006)
Old Joy
Executive Producer
(2002)
Far from Heaven
Director, Writer
(2002)
Madame Satã
Thanks
(1998)
Velvet Goldmine
Director, Screenplay, Story
(1997)
Office Killer
Co-Writer
(1995)
Safe
Writer, Director
(1994)
Totally F***ed Up
Thanks
(1993)
Dottie Gets Spanked
Writer, Director
(1991)
Poison
Director, Writer, Editor
(1991)
Goo
Director
(1990)
Anemone Me
Producer
(1989)
He Was Once
Producer, Production Manager
(1989)
La Divina
Co-Producer, Assistant Director
(1989)
Natural History
Producer
(1988)
Cause and Effect
Producer
(1987)
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story
Director, Screenplay, Producer, Editor
(1986)
Days Are Numbered
Producer
(1985)
Tommy's
Producer
(1985)
(1984)
A Man in Your Room
Producer
(1978)
The Suicide
Director, Screenplay, Producer