Todd Haynes

Cast · Director · Writer

Born

January 2, 1961 · Los Angeles, USA

Todd Haynes is an American screenwriter and director known for exploring themes of fame, sexuality, and marginalized lives in his films. Notable works include Safe (1995), Velvet Goldmine (1998), Far from Heaven (2002), I’m Not There (2007), Carol (2015), and May December (2023). Haynes graduated from Brown University and gained early recognition with Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987), a postmodern short film about Karen Carpenter’s struggle with anorexia. His first feature, Poison (1991), was controversial for its sexual themes and NEA funding. Safe depicted a suburban woman’s environmental allergies, while Velvet Goldmine examined glam-rock celebrities. Far from Heaven recreated a 1950s melodrama, earning Haynes an Academy Award nomination. He later explored Bob Dylan's life in I’m Not There and created the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce (2011). His film Carol received critical acclaim for portraying a romantic relationship between two women in the 1950s. Other projects include Wonderstruck (2017), Dark Waters (2019), and The Velvet Underground documentary (2021). His latest film, May December, addresses the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal and sparked discussions on gender, race, and class, despite mixed reactions from those involved. The film received several nominations, including at Cannes and the Golden Globes.