Biography
Paul Joseph Schrader (/ˈʃreɪdər/; born July 22, 1946) is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first became known for writing the screenplay of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976). He later continued his collaboration with Scorsese, writing or co-writing Raging Bull (1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Bringing Out the Dead (1999). Schrader has also worked extensively as a director: his 23 films include Blue Collar (1978), Hardcore (1979), American Gigolo (1980), Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), Light Sleeper (1992), Affliction (1997), and First Reformed (2017), with the last of these earning him his first Academy Award nomination. Schrader's work frequently depicts "man in a room" stories which feature isolated, troubled men confronting an existential crisis.
Raised in a strict Calvinist family, Schrader attended Calvin College before pursuing film studies at UCLA on the encouragement of film critic Pauline Kael. He then worked as a film scholar and critic, publishing the book Transcendental Style in Film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer (1972) before transitioning to screenwriting in 1974. The success of Taxi Driver in 1976 brought greater attention to his work, and Schrader began directing his own films, beginning with Blue Collar (co-written with his brother, Leonard Schrader). Schrader has described three of his recent films as a loose trilogy: First Reformed (2017), The Card Counter (2021), and Master Gardener (2022).
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Biography from TMDB, which often draws on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source · CC BY-SA 4.0
In Catlg
1 Work in the catalog credit them.
Writing (1)
Filmography
Best Served Cold: How a Revenge Film was Buried for DecadesFilm · 2026 · as Himself
The Basics of PhilosophyFilm · 2026 · Director- The Basics of PhilosophyFilm · 2026 · Writer
- Masterclass di Paul Schrader al Laceno d'Oro 48Film · 2025 · as Self - filmmaker, guest
Mr. ScorseseTV · 2025 · as Self · 5 episodes
Ritratti di cinemaFilm · 2025 · as Self
Oh, CanadaFilm · 2024 · Director- Oh, CanadaFilm · 2024 · Screenplay
Master GardenerFilm · 2023 · Director- Master GardenerFilm · 2023 · Writer
The Book of HarthFilm · 2022 · as Self
The Last Movie StarsTV · 2022 · as Self · 1 episode
There Are No SaintsFilm · 2022 · Screenplay
The Card CounterFilm · 2021 · Director- The Card CounterFilm · 2021 · Writer
Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film BusinessFilm · 2020 · as Self
Paul Schrader: Man in a RoomFilm · 2020 · as Self
The Beauty of Horror: Paul Schrader on The Comfort of StrangersFilm · 2020 · as Self
What She Said: The Art of Pauline KaelFilm · 2019 · as Self
First ReformedFilm · 2018 · Director- First ReformedFilm · 2018 · Writer
We Blew ItFilm · 2017 · as Self
Dog Eat DogFilm · 2016 · as El Greco- Dog Eat DogFilm · 2016 · Director
Ken SanFilm · 2016 · as Self
Taxi Driver: 40th Anniversary Cast Q&AFilm · 2016 · as Self
Close Up with The Hollywood ReporterTV · 2015 · as Self · 1 episode
Hitchcock/TruffautFilm · 2015 · as Self
Dying of the LightFilm · 2014 · Director- Dying of the LightFilm · 2014 · Screenplay
Late Night with Seth MeyersTV · 2014 · as Self - Guest · 1 episode
MiliusFilm · 2013 · as Self
Richard Pryor: Omit the LogicFilm · 2013 · as Self
The CanyonsFilm · 2013 · Director
Venice 70: Future ReloadedFilm · 2013 · as Self (segment Paul Schrader)- Venice 70: Future ReloadedFilm · 2013 · Director
Eames: The Architect and the PainterFilm · 2011 · as Self
The Story of Film: An OdysseyTV · 2011 · as Self · 3 episodes
Godard Made in USAFilm · 2010 · as Self
Tales from the ScriptFilm · 2009 · as Self
The Rules of Film NoirFilm · 2009 · as Self
Adam ResurrectedFilm · 2008 · Director
Murnau, Borzage and FoxFilm · 2008 · as Self
Schrader's ExorcismFilm · 2008 · as Self
God's Lonely ManFilm · 2007 · as Self
Influence And Appreciation: A Martin Scorsese TributeFilm · 2007 · as Self
Producing 'Taxi Driver'Film · 2007 · as Himself
The WalkerFilm · 2007 · Director- The WalkerFilm · 2007 · Screenplay
Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to LightFilm · 2006 · as Self
Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do ThatFilm · 2005 · as Self
Dominion: Prequel to The ExorcistFilm · 2005 · Director
Raging Bull: Before the FightFilm · 2005 · as Self- Männer im Trenchcoat, Frauen im PelzFilm · 2004 · as Self
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood RenegadeFilm · 2004 · as Self
A Decade Under the InfluenceFilm · 2003 · as Self
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved HollywoodFilm · 2003 · as Self
Playboy: Sex at 24 Frames Per SecondFilm · 2003 · as Self
Auto FocusFilm · 2002 · Director- Cat People: An Intimate Portrait by Paul SchraderFilm · 2002 · as Self
Bringing Out the DeadFilm · 1999 · Screenplay
Forever MineFilm · 1999 · Director- Forever MineFilm · 1999 · Writer
Making 'Taxi Driver'Film · 1999 · as Self
AfflictionFilm · 1998 · Director- AfflictionFilm · 1998 · Screenplay
Birth of a NationFilm · 1997 · as Self
Scene by SceneTV · 1997 · as Self · 1 episode
TouchFilm · 1997 · Director- TouchFilm · 1997 · Screenplay
City HallFilm · 1996 · Writer
Untitled: New BlueFilm · 1995 · as Himself (uncredited)- Untitled: New BlueFilm · 1995 · Director
- Untitled: New BlueFilm · 1995 · Writer
Witch HuntFilm · 1994 · Director
Talking with OzuFilm · 1993 · as Self
Light SleeperFilm · 1992 · Director- Light SleeperFilm · 1992 · Writer
Hollywood MavericksFilm · 1990 · as Self
Pictures of EuropeFilm · 1990 · as Self
Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American DreamerFilm · 1990 · as Self
The Comfort of StrangersFilm · 1990 · Director
Patty HearstFilm · 1988 · Director
The Last Temptation of ChristFilm · 1988 · Screenplay
Light of DayFilm · 1987 · Director- Light of DayFilm · 1987 · Screenplay
The Mosquito CoastFilm · 1986 · Screenplay
Inside MishimaFilm · 1985 · as Self
Mishima: A Life in Four ChaptersFilm · 1985 · Director- Mishima: A Life in Four ChaptersFilm · 1985 · Writer
The Road to BressonFilm · 1984 · as Self
Cat PeopleFilm · 1982 · Director- Cat PeopleFilm · 1982 · Screenplay
American GigoloFilm · 1980 · Director- American GigoloFilm · 1980 · Writer
Raging BullFilm · 1980 · Screenplay
HardcoreFilm · 1979 · Director- HardcoreFilm · 1979 · Writer
Old BoyfriendsFilm · 1979 · Writer
Blue CollarFilm · 1978 · Director- Blue CollarFilm · 1978 · Screenplay
The South Bank ShowTV · 1978 · Acting · 1 episode
Rolling ThunderFilm · 1977 · Screenplay
ObsessionFilm · 1976 · Screenplay, Story
Taxi DriverFilm · 1976 · Writer
The YakuzaFilm · 1974 · Screenplay- Amber LightFilm · Writer
- ClangFilm · Writer
- Life from the Other SideFilm · Screenplay
- Non Compos MentisFilm · Director
- Non Compos MentisFilm · Writer
- The Doors of PerceptionFilm · Director
- The Doors of PerceptionFilm · Writer
- Three Guns at DawnFilm · Writer
Filmography from TMDB. This product uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.