Tate Taylor

Tate Taylor (born June 3, 1969) is an American filmmaker and actor. Taylor is best known for directing The Help, Get On Up (2014), The Girl on the Train (2016), and Ma (2019).

Early life Taylor was born on June 3, 1969, in Jackson, Mississippi, where he grew up.

Career 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. 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. 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.

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.

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

Personal life Taylor is gay and is in a relationship with producer John Norris. He resides on the Wyolah Plantation, an Antebellum plantation in Church Hill, Mississippi.

Filmography Film Year Title Director Producer Writer 2003 Chicken Party 2008 Pretty Ugly People 2011 The Help 2014 Get On Up 2016 The Girl on the Train 2019 Ma 2020 Ava 2021 Breaking News in Yuba County

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 Year Title Director ExecutiveProducer Writer Notes 2015 Grace and Frankie Episode "Pilot" 2020 Filthy Rich Developer 2024 Palm Royale

Acting credits Year Title Role Notes 1999 Charmed Applicant No. 3 Episode "The Painted World" 2001 Six Feet Under Job Applicant No. 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 Year Award Category Title Result 2011BAFTA AwardsBest Adapted Screenplay The Help Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Writers Guild of America Best Adapted Screenplay