John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist.

KNOWN FOR

Poker Face
2025
The Alienist
2018
Square One Television
1987
Baseball
1994
The Spiderwick Chronicles
2008
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
2011
Shannon's Deal
1990
Mimic
1997
Malcolm X
1992
The Howling
1981
Scene by Scene
2001
Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time
2020

FILMOGRAPHY

All
Movies
TV
Acting
57
Directing
21
Writing
47
Producing
9
Editing
15
Crew
3
2025
Poker Face
as Chief Hal
2024
John Sayles and Gregory Nava
as Themself
2021
Algren
as Self
2021
Texas Red
as Governor Johnson (voice)
2021
Corona Film Club
as Self
2020
Time Warp Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi
as Self
2020
Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time
as Self
2019
Them That Work
as Self
2016
The Umbrella
as Pastor Jim
2015
The Third Man: A Filmmaker's Influence
as Self
2014
That Guy Dick Miller
as Self
2012
Casting By
as Self
2012
The Normals
as Dr. Marx
2011
Corman's World
as Self - Filmmaker
2011
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
as Self
2010
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
as Self
2009
In the Electric Mist
as Michael Goldman
2009
The Toe Tactic
as Cramden
2009
Great Directors
as Self
2008
Obscene: A Portrait of Barney Rosset and Grove Press
as Self
2007
Honeydripper
as Zeke
2007
Alligator Author
as Self
2006
Edge of Outside
as Self
2006
Howard Zinn: Voices of a People's History of the United States
as Self
2004
Tell Them Who You Are
as Self
2003
Unleashing the Beast: Making ‘The Howling’
2002
Sunshine State
as Man who almost got hit by a golf ball (uncredited)
2001
Scene by Scene
as Self
2000
A Constant Forge
as Self
2000
Girlfight
as Science Teacher
2000
When It Was a Game 3
as Self (voice)
1998
Independent Focus
as Self
1997
Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western
as Self
1997
Gridlock'd
as Cop #1
1994
My Life's in Turnaround
as Marginal producer
1994
Baseball
as Self
1993
Matinee
as Bob
1992
Passion Fish
as Soap Opera Doctor (uncredited)
1992
Straight Talk
as Guy Girardi
1992
Malcolm X
as FBI Agent
1991
City of Hope
as Carl
1990
Little Vegas
as Mike
1990
Shannon's Deal
as Ronnie Nash
1989
Untamagiru
as US High Commissioner
1989
La fine della notte
as Wayne
1988
Eight Men Out
as Ring Lardner
1987
Matewan
as Hardshell Preacher
1987
Square One Television
as Roy 'Lefty' Cobbs
1986
Unnatural Causes
as Lloyd
1986
Something Wild
as Motorcycle Cop
1985
Hard Choices
as Don
1984
The Brother from Another Planet
as Man in Black
1983
Lianna
as Jerry
1981
The Howling
as Morgue Attendant (uncredited)
1980
Return of the Secaucus Seven
as Howie
1978
Piranha
as Army Sentry (uncredited)
An Ode to Mary Jo