Alan Taylor

Biography:

Alan Taylor (born January 13, 1959) is an American film and television director, screenwriter, and producer, widely recognized for his work on acclaimed TV series including The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones. His feature film credits include Palookaville, Thor: The Dark World, Terminator Genisys, and The Many Saints of Newark.

Taylor’s father, James J. Taylor, served as a private in the U.S. Army in Yokohama, Japan, working as a translator for Voice of America before holding various jobs and eventually becoming a videographer in Washington, D.C. His mother, Mimi Cazort, was curator emerita at the National Gallery of Canada, and his sister is indie rock artist Anna Domino.

He spent part of his youth in Manor Park, Ottawa, attending Manor Park Public School and Lisgar Collegiate Institute, where he acted in the Communications Club’s production of The Mouse That Roared. Taylor went on to study history at the University of Toronto and Columbia University before transferring to New York University in his late twenties to study film under notable instructors such as Martin Scorsese.

Taylor began his career directing episodes of major television dramas like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and The West Wing. In 2004, he directed episodes of HBO’s Deadwood and later helmed the pilot episodes of Mad Men (“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”) and Bored to Death. His work on Game of Thrones included seven episodes, notably the acclaimed first-season episode “Baelor.” He also directed adaptations such as Roadside Picnic for WGN America and early films including The Emperor’s New Clothes and Kill the Poor.

In the 2010s, Taylor transitioned to large-scale filmmaking, directing Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World (2013) after being approached by producer Kevin Feige, who sought his darker, more grounded tone inspired by Game of Thrones. He later directed Terminator Genisys (2015), aiming to revitalize the franchise he admired. After directing nine episodes of The Sopranos, he reunited with creator David Chase to direct the 2021 prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.

In 2022, Taylor was announced as a director for multiple episodes of House of the Dragon season two.

Throughout his career, Taylor has received several accolades, including the 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for The Sopranos episode “Kennedy and Heidi,” and additional nominations in 2008 and 2018 for Mad Men and Game of Thrones, respectively.

Taylor currently resides in Tyler Hill, Pennsylvania, with makeup artist Nicki Ledermann, with whom he has three children.