Film director Alexander Payne poses during a photo call for his film "The Descendants" on Jan. 25, 2011, in a hotel in Rome. He has been nominated for a best director Oscar for that film, which also is a best picture nominee. He also shared a best writing (adapted screenplay) nomination with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.
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Screenwriters Nat Faxon, Jim Nash and Alexander Payne, winners of the Best Adapted Screenplay Award for "The Descendants," pose in the press room at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on Feb. 26, 2012, in Hollywood, Calif.
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Director Alexander Payne arrives at the 84th Academy Awards Nominations Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Feb. 6, 2012, in Beverly Hills, Calif. He won an Oscar for best writing for his 2005 movie "Sideways," which starred his then-wife Sandra Oh. Payne lost out on the best director award that year.
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Actor George Clooney, left, and filmmaker Alexander Payne pose for a portrait during the 84th Academy Awards Nominations Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Feb. 6, 2012.
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Director Alexander Payne appears at AARP Magazine's 11th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards Gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Feb. 6, 2012, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
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Producers Jim Taylor, left, Jim Burke, center, and writer/director Alexander Payne, accept the award for Best Motion Picture - Drama for "The Descendants" onstage during the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 15, 2012, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
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Director Alexander Payne accepts the Feature Film Nomination Plaque for "The Descendants" onstage during the 64th Annual Directors Guild Of America Awards held Jan. 28, 2012, in Los Angeles.
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Writer/Director/Producer Alexander Payne, left, actress Molly Ringwald and actress Shailene Woodley arrive to the premiere of Fox Searchlight's "The Descendants" on Nov. 15, 2012, in Los Angeles.
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David Carr, left, Alexander Payne and George Clooney participate in TimesTalks' "A Conversation With George Clooney And Alexander Payne" at SilverScreen Theater in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2012.
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Executive Producer Alexander Payne arrives at "The Savages" premiere screening held at the Eccles Theater during the 2007 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 19, 2007, in Park City, Utah.
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Writer/director Alexander Payne speaks after receiving an honor for distinguished achievement in screenwriting at the UCLA Screenwriting Showcase at the Writer's Guild of America on June 13, 2005, in Los Angeles. He attended UCLA Film School and his university thesis film was screened at the Sundance.
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Alexander Payne poses on the eve of the start of the 58th Cannes Film Festival on June 9, 2005, in France.
