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 nominations 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. …
Directed
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There Will Be Blood (2007) — Director
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Magnolia (1999) — Director
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One Battle After Another (2025) — Director
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Phantom Thread (2017) — Director
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Boogie Nights (1997) — Director
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The Master (2012) — Director
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Punch-Drunk Love (2002) — Director
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Inherent Vice (2014) — Director
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Licorice Pizza (2021) — Director
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Hard Eight (1997) — Director
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Saturday Night Live (1975) — Director
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Anima (2019) — Director
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Junun (2015) — Director
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Mattress Man Commercial (2003) — Director
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Couch (2003) — Director
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Cigarettes & Coffee (1993) — Director
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The Dirk Diggler Story (1988) — Director
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HAIM / Valentine (2017) — Director
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Ballchewer (2002) — Director
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Flagpole Special (1998) — Director
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Production Assistant (1992) — Director
- 12 Scopitones (2003) — Director
- The Jon Brion Show (1999) — Director
- Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Western Musical Project — Director
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Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall — Director
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12 Scopitones — Director
Also appeared in
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Minority Report (2002) — Bus Passenger (uncredited)
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Magnolia (1999) — Man Confiscating Sign (uncredited)
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Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) — Self
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The Oscars (1953) — Self
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Junun (2015) — Self (voice) (uncredited)
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"Sr." (2022) — Self (archive footage)
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Altman (2014) — Self
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Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes (1999) — Self
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Golden Globe Awards (1944) — Self - Nominee
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That Moment: Magnolia Diary (2000) — Self
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A Christmas Eve Conversation With Quentin Tarantino & Paul Thomas Anderson (2015) — Self
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Learning, Studying… Always Perfecting: The Making of One Battle After Another (2026) — Self
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Chryskylodon Blues (2015) — Self
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Production Assistant (1992) — self
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Leçon de Cinéma (2004) — Self
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Art-House America: Austin Film Society (2023) — Self