Tate Taylor (born June 3, 1969) is an American filmmaker and actor. Taylor is best known for directing The Help (2011), Get On Up (2014), and The Girl on the Train (2016).

Tate Taylor
Taylor in 2011
Born (1969-06-03) June 3, 1969 (age 55)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • film producer
  • screenwriter
  • actor

Early life

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Taylor was born on June 3, 1969, in Jackson, Mississippi, where he grew up.[citation needed]

Career

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Taylor worked for 15 years in New York City and Los Angeles. Though he debuted as a feature film director in Pretty Ugly People (2008), he was primarily an actor for most of his career, in films such as Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997) and Winter's Bone (2010), and on television in series such as Charmed, Six Feet Under, and The Drew Carey Show.

Taylor achieved mainstream success when he directed the film The Help (2011), based on Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same title. Stockett gave him rights to make the film adaptation in June 2008, before the book was published.[1] In addition to receiving generally positive reviews, the film was a major commercial success, earning more than $200 million worldwide, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Tate Taylor has been nominated for and received industry awards including the 2013 Vail Film Festival Vanguard Award, the 2012 BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay nomination, the 2012 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, the 2012 Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Adapted Screenplay nomination, the 2012 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture and for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture, and the 2011 Chicago Film Critics Association nomination.[2] Taylor next directed the James Brown biopic Get On Up (2014), which starred Chadwick Boseman. Though the film was a critical success, it commercially underperformed. His next project The Girl on the Train, an adaptation of the book by Paula Hawkins, was released to mixed reviews from critics, but was a box office success.

In August 2018, Taylor was announced to be directing Jessica Chastain in action thriller film Ava. Taylor replaced original director Matthew Newton, who stepped down after controversy over allegations of domestic violence and assault.[3]

In May 2019, Taylor released psychological horror film Ma, starring frequent collaborator Octavia Spencer. The film, produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions banner, was a critical and commercial success. That same month, Fox ordered Taylor's first television project, Filthy Rich, to series. An American adaptation of the New Zealand series starring Kim Cattrall, it premiered in September 2020 and was cancelled after one season.[4]

Taylor's most recent film is Breaking News in Yuba County, starring frequent collaborator Allison Janney, was released on February 12, 2021.[5][6]

Personal life

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Taylor is openly gay and is in a relationship with producer John Norris.[7] He resides on the Wyolah Plantation, an Antebellum plantation in Church Hill, Mississippi.[8][9]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Director Producer Writer
2003 Chicken Party Yes Yes Yes
2008 Pretty Ugly People Yes Yes Yes
2011 The Help Yes Executive Yes
2014 Get On Up Yes Yes No
2016 The Girl on the Train Yes No No
2019 Ma Yes Yes No
2020 Ava Yes No No
2021 Breaking News in Yuba County Yes Yes No

Acting credits

Year Title Role
1997 Romy and Michele's High School Reunion Casey Deegan
2001 Planet of the Apes Friend at Leo's Party
2002 I Spy Lieutenant Percy
2003 Chicken Party Luke Smith
2004 Breakin' All the Rules Attendant
2005 Wannabe Gunner Dillyn
2008 Pretty Ugly People George's boyfriend
2010 Winter's Bone Mike Satterfield
2019 Ma Officer Grainger
2021 Breaking News in Yuba County Attractive Customer

Television

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Year Title Director Executive
Producer
Writer Notes
2015 Grace and Frankie Yes Yes No Episode "Pilot"
2020 Filthy Rich Yes Yes Yes Developer
2024 Palm Royale Yes Yes No Miniseries

Acting credits

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Charmed Applicant #3 Episode "The Painted World"
2001 Six Feet Under Job Applicant #1 Episode "The New Person"
2002 The Drew Carey Show Jim Episode "The Dawn Patrol"
2003 A.U.S.A. Gung-Ho A.U.S.A. Episode "Pilot"
2005 Queer as Folk Calvin Episode "We Will Survive!"
2008 Sordid Lives: The Series Richie Miller 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Title Result
2011 BAFTA Awards Best Adapted Screenplay The Help Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Writers Guild of America Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Hickman, Angela (August 10, 2011). "Q&A: The Help hits close to home for director Tate Taylor". National Post. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  2. ^ "Tate Taylor – Awards". IMDb. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  3. ^ McNary, Dave (August 27, 2018). "Tate Taylor Replaces Matthew Newton as Director of Jessica Chastain's 'Eve'". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Pedersen, Erik (October 24, 2019). "Fox Midseason Premiere Dates: 'Last Man Standing', 'Flirty Dancing', 'Deputy', 'Duncanville' & More". Deadline.
  5. ^ McNary, Dave (October 26, 2018). "Allison Janney, Laura Dern to Star in Tate Taylor's 'Breaking News in Yuba County'". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  6. ^ Linden, Sheri (February 11, 2021). "'Breaking News in Yuba County': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  7. ^ Reed, Julia (February 2, 2016). "Tate Taylor, The Help Director, Renovates an 1830s Mississippi Mansion". Architectural Digest. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  8. ^ Gregory, Vanessa (August 2011). "The Help Director – Tate Taylor". Garden and Gun. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  9. ^ "Tour History Shows Will Continue Filming in North Carolina Despite Anti-LGBT Law". The Hollywood Reporter.
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