Who Is Paul Schrader? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Paul Schrader, born on July 22, 1946, is an eminent figure in the world of filmmaking. As of 2025, he is 78 years old. Schrader gained recognition through his groundbreaking screenwriting and directorial work, with notable films including "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," and "American Gigolo." His unique storytelling and profound insights into human psychology have earned him a respected place in the film industry.
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | July 22, 1946 |
| Age | 78 Years |
| Birth Place | Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Country | U.S |
Popularity
Paul Schrader's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details on Paul Schrader's height and weight are not widely publicized, estimates put him at about 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm). In 2025, he maintains a slender build typical of his age, focusing more on his intellectual appearances than physical attributes.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Throughout his life, Paul Schrader has been quite private regarding his personal relationships. As of 2025, there are no confirmed reports on his dating status or whether he has a boyfriend. He was previously married to actress and producer Linda Reisman; they divorced in 1990. Schrader has often kept his relationships low-profile, focusing instead on his craft and the cinematic narrative.
Schrader, an executive. Schrader's family attended the Calvinist Christian Reformed Church. Schrader's mother was of Dutch descent, the daughter of emigrants from Friesland, while Schrader's paternal grandfather was from a German family that had come to the U.S. through Canada.
Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Paul Schrader’s net worth is estimated to be around $30 million. His wealth stems primarily from his extensive work in screenwriting, directing, and producing. Additionally, residuals from his classic films continue to contribute to his impressive net worth. His professional accomplishments have solidified his place as a prominent figure in Hollywood, yielding a substantial salary from various film projects.
Career, Business, and Investments
Paul Schrader’s career spans several decades, with a legacy that includes both screenwriting and directing. Beyond the iconic films he has created, Schrader has actively engaged in various business ventures related to the film industry, including production companies and collaborations with rising filmmakers. His contributions to cinema extend into academia, where he shares his experience through teaching and mentorship. As of 2025, he remains involved in upcoming projects, showcasing his enduring passion for filmmaking.
After five years of trying and failing to find funding to make feature films, Schrader returned with The Canyons (2013), an erotic dramatic thriller written by Bret Easton Ellis and starring Lindsay Lohan and adult-film star James Deen. The film was one of the first films to use the website Kickstarter to crowd-source its funding.
Schrader also used the website Let It Cast to have unknown actors submit their audition tapes over the internet. American Apparel provided some wardrobe for the film. The film was ultimately made for just $250,000 and had a limited theatrical release from IFC Films on August 2, 2013. The film was poorly received by general critics and audiences.
The film only made $56,000 in theaters but found later success when released on various Video on Demand platforms.
Social Network
Paul Schrader is not particularly active on mainstream social media platforms, choosing instead to maintain a certain distance from the public eye. However, he occasionally shares insights through interviews and film festivals, allowing fans and followers to keep updated on his thoughts and upcoming works. His reputation is such that discussions surrounding his projects and his cinematic philosophies often dominate online film forums and social discussions.
His 1990s work included the travelers-in-Venice tale The Comfort of Strangers (1990), adapted by Harold Pinter from the Ian McEwan novel, and Light Sleeper (1992), a sympathetic study of a drug dealer vying for a normal life. In 2005, Schrader described Light Sleeper as his "most personal" film.
In 1997, he made Touch (1997), based on an Elmore Leonard novel about a young man seemingly able to cure the sick by the laying on of hands. In 1998, Schrader won critical acclaim for the drama Affliction.
The film tells the story of a troubled small-town policeman (Nick Nolte) who becomes obsessed with solving the mystery behind a fatal hunting accident. Schrader's script was based on the novel by Russell Banks. The film was nominated for multiple awards, including two Academy Awards for acting (for Nolte and James Coburn).
Schrader received the Austin Film Festival's Distinguished Screenwriter Award the same year. In 1999, Schrader received the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement from the Writers Guild of America.
Education
Schrader pursued an education that honed his interests in film and narrative. He earned a degree in film studies from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by a master's degree from the American Film Institute Conservatory. His academic background laid the foundation for his illustrious career, contributing to his distinctive voice in the film industry.
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).
