Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (sometimes Alfonso Gómez-Rejón; born November 6, 1972, in

Laredo, Texas Laredo ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags (the flag of t ...

) is an American film and television director. His television program credits include ''

Hunters Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, et ...

'', ''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

'' and ''

American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the '' American Story'' media franchise, each season is conceived as a ...

''. He was nominated for a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

for Outstanding Directing For a Miniseries for '' American Horror Story: Coven''. He is most known for his second feature film ''

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl ''Me and Earl and the Dying Girl'' is a 2012 debut novel written by Jesse Andrews. The novel was released in hardcover by Amulet Books on March 1, 2012, and in paperback on May 7, 2013. Plot Greg Gaines is a senior at Benson High School i ...

''.

Early career

In high school, Rejon would "borrow a friend's camera" and "make shorts in lieu of presenting a report in front of the class." He began his professional career as personal assistant to

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

Nora Ephron Nora Ephron ( ; May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012) was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for her romantic comedy films and was nominated three times for the Writers Guild of America Award and the Academy Award f ...

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

and

Alejandro González Iñárritu Alejandro González Iñárritu (; American Spanish: ; credited since 2016 as Alejandro G. Iñárritu; born 15 August 1963) is a Mexican filmmaker and screenwriter. He is primarily known for making modern psychological drama films about the hum ...

before transitioning into a

second unit director Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stag ...

for feature films, and becoming a television and commercial director. Much of his time as a personal assistant was spent on the sets of major motion pictures. Gomez-Rejon then gained extensive experience as a

second unit Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stag ...

director, including such films as ''

Babel Babel is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon and may refer to: Arts and media Written works Books *Babel (book), ''Babel'' (book), by Patti Smith * Babel (2012 manga), ''Babel'' (2012 manga), by Narumi Shigematsu * Babel (20 ...

'', ''

Julie & Julia ''Julie & Julia'' is a 2009 American biographical comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Messina. The film contrasts the life of chef Julia Child in the early years of her ...

'' and ''

Argo In Greek mythology the ''Argo'' (; in Greek: ) was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of sour ...

''. He cast most of the "unknown parts" in ''Babel'', which earned him a chance to assist Ryan Murphy in finding authentic Balinese personnel for ''

Eat Pray Love ''Eat Pray Love'' is a 2010 American biographical romantic drama film starring Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert, based on Gilbert's 2006 memoir of the same name. Ryan Murphy co-wrote and directed the film, which was released in the United St ...

''.

Television commercials

Prior to and during the September 21, 2010

season 2 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * '' 2econd Season'' See also

* {{disambig ...

premiere (episode "

Audition An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece giv ...

") of ''Glee'', American Express aired a commercial for its Members Project entitled "Don't Be A Sue", in reference to Glee character

Sue Sylvester Susan "Sue" Rodham Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and appears in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009, through th ...

who has no regard for the arts and public service. On February 6, 2011,

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...

ran several

Super Bowl ad Super Bowl commercials, colloquially known as Super Bowl ads, are high-profile television advertisement, television commercials featured in the U.S. television broadcast of the Super Bowl, the championship game of the National Football League (N ...

s. One was a 30-second ad in which the cast of ''Glee'' was asked to be spokespersons for the

Chevrolet Cruze The Chevrolet Cruze is a compact car that is produced by General Motors since 2008. It was designated as a globally developed, designed, and manufactured four-door compact sedan, complemented by a five-door hatchback body variant from 2011, and ...

. This ad served as a teaser for a 2-minute-and-20-second ad featuring the ''Glee'' cast as singers and dancers during a

Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway (theatre), Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables (musical), Les Misérab ...

-led rendition of "

See the USA in Your Chevrolet The song "See The U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet" (title as filed for 1950 copyright) is a commercial jingle from c. 1949, with lyrics and music by Leo Corday ( ASCAP) and Leon Carr (ASCAP), written for the Chevrolet Division of General Motors. The ...

" that aired during the Super Bowl lead-out program, which was " The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" episode of Glee. A 60-second version of the ad was aired along with

movie trailer A trailer (also known as a preview, coming attraction or attraction video) is a commercial advertisement, originally for a feature film that is going to be exhibited in the future at a movie theater/cinema. It is a product of creative and techni ...

s at nationwide

movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...

s. The "See the USA" ad was directed by Gomez-Rejon.

Russell Carpenter Russell Paul Carpenter, (born December 9, 1950) is an American cinematographer and photographer, known for collaborating with directors James Cameron, Robert Luketic and McG. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the 1997 Best Pic ...

was the

director of photography The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

. On November 30, 2011, T-Mobile announced a surprise event at the

Woodfield Mall Woodfield Mall is a shopping mall located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, United States, at the intersection of Golf Road and Interstate 290. The mall is the largest shopping mall in the state of Illinois, the second lar ...

. On December 1, 2011, Gomez-Rejon directed about six surprise singing and dancing mall performances of " Home for the Holidays" by

Carly Foulkes Carly Foulkes (born August 4, 1988) is a Canadian model and actress who became known for appearing in a series of T-Mobile myTouch 4G television commercials, in which she often wore pink/magenta-and-white summer dresses. She continued as spoke ...

and 100 Chicago-area women in magenta dresses. The performances were later edited into a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

with the hope that it would go viral. The full video that has been posted on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

has a run time of 3:48 and it will be presented in a 60-second national television commercial starting on December 12. The video was produced by

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

and

Tony Scott Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as ''Top Gun'' (1986), ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''Day ...

's RSA Films. The

musical director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the ...

was

Paul Mirkovich Paul Mirkovich (born March 20, 1963) is an American musician from Los Angeles. He has been the band leader, keyboardist and duet singing partner for Cher for the last 16 years. He has also been the band director for Janet Jackson and Anastacia a ...

Television programs

Eventually Murphy sought Gomez-Rejon to direct ''Glee'', where he earned his first episodic television directorial credits for executive producers Murphy,

Brad Falchuk Bradley Douglas Falchuk (born March 1, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer, best known for co-creating with Ryan Murphy the comedy-drama television series ''Glee'', the drama series ''Pose'', the horror comedy '' Screa ...

, and

Dante Di Loreto Dante Di Loreto is an American film and television producer most notable for executive producing '' Glee'' and ''American Horror Story''. He is a two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner and for his work on ''Temple Grandin'' and ''The Normal Heart'' ...

. He credits Murphy for nurturing his early development. In

season 1 Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambiguat ...

, he directed "

Laryngitis Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks. Laryngitis is categorised ...

" (episode 18, May 11, 2010). In season 2, he directed " Grilled Cheesus" (episode 3, October 5, 2010), "

A Very Glee Christmas "A Very Glee Christmas" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American musical television series '' Glee'', and the thirty-second episode overall. It was written by series co-creator Ian Brennan, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and p ...

" (episode 10, December 7, 2010) and " Born This Way" (episode 18, April 26, 2011). In

season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pola ...

, he directed "

Asian F "Asian F" is the third episode of the third season of the American musical television series ''Glee'', and the forty-seventh overall. Written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, it first aired on Fox in the Uni ...

" (episode 3, October 4, 2011). A new show by Murphy, Falchuk and Di Loreto as executive producers, ''

'', debuted in October 2011, and Gomez-Rejon has directed two episodes from the first season: "

Home Invasion A home invasion, also called a hot prowl burglary, is a sub-type of burglary (or in some jurisdictions, a separately defined crime) in which an offender unlawfully enters into a building residence while the occupants are inside. The overarching ...

" (episode 2, October 12, 2011) and "

Birth Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...

" (episode 11, December 14, 2011). Rejon later returned for the second and third season. Gomez-Rejon was among the creative contributors named in the

Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film The Golden Globe Award for Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film is one of the annual Golden Globe Awards given to the best miniseries or made-for-television film. Winners and nominees 1970s Best Television Film 1980s Best Minise ...

nomination at the

71st Golden Globe Awards The 71st Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2013, was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 12, 2014, by NBC, as part of the 2013-14 film awards season. The ...

for ''American Horror Story: Coven'' as Co-Executive Producer/Director. His role as a producing director meant he had a more regular dialogue with Murphy because he was a creative contributor to all episodes whereas when he had been an episodic director, he had only been involved in the episodes that he shot. He also worked more closely with the showrunner on casting decisions. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy at the

66th Primetime Emmy Awards The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in U.S. prime time television programming from June 1, 2013 until May 31, 2014, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was held on Monday, August 25, 2014, at the Noki ...

for

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special This is a list of the winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Chronology of category names Over the years, the scope of this award has evolved and the name with which ...

for his work directing the ''American Horror Story: Coven'' episode " Bitchcraft". He is also credited with a nomination for

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series represents excellence in the category of limited series that are two or more episodes, with a total running time of at least 150 minutes. Criteria The program must tell a compl ...

since he served as Co-Executive Producer of the series.

Feature films

''Me and Earl and the Dying Girl'', which he directed, was a selection for the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. It won the award as well as the US drama audience prize. Gomez-Rejon was attached to direct

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...

in the New York-set indie drama ''

Collateral Beauty ''Collateral Beauty'' is a 2016 American fantasy drama film directed by David Frankel and written by Allan Loeb. The film stars an ensemble cast of Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Peña, Naomie Harris, Jacob Latimore, Ka ...

'', scripted by

Allan Loeb Allan Loeb (born July 25, 1969) is an American screenwriter and film and television producer. He wrote the 2007 film ''Things We Lost in the Fire (film), Things We Lost in the Fire'' and created the 2008 television series ''New Amsterdam (2008 TV ...

. However, he later dropped out of the project due to creative differences. Gomez-Rejon directed the historical drama ''

The Current War ''The Current War'' is a 2017 American historical drama film inspired by the 19th-century competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over which electric power delivery system would be used in the United States (often referred to ...

''.

Future projects

On November 13, 2015, Gomez-Rejon is set to direct ''Let It Bleed,'' a crime thriller based on his early life in Laredo, Texas. On March 31, 2016, Gomez-Rejon is set to direct the film adaptation of

Delia Ephron Delia Ephron ( ; born July 12, 1944) is an American bestselling author, screenwriter, and playwright. Life and career Ephron was born in New York City, the second eldest of four daughters of screenwriters Phoebe and Henry Ephron. Her movies i ...

's novel ''Siracusa'' On May 6, 2016, Gomez-Rejon is set to direct the film ''A Foreigner'' based on David Grann's 2011 article ''A Murder Foretold,'' starring

Oscar Isaac Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is a Guatemalan-born American actor. Known for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Latino characters in Hollywood. He was named the best actor of his gener ...

. On April 12, 2018, Gomez-Rejon is set to direct ''

Limelight Limelight (also known as Drummond light or calcium light)James R. Smith (2004). ''San Francisco's Lost Landmarks'', Quill Driver Books. is a type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illumination is created when ...

,'' the biopic of

Peter Gatien Peter Gatien (born August 14, 1952) is a Canadian club owner and party promoter. He is best known as the former owner of several prominent New York City nightclubs, including Club USA, The Limelight, Palladium, and Tunnel. Life and career Gatien ...

the owner of the nightclub of the same name for

Amazon Studios Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...

. On November 7, 2019, Gomez-Rejon is set to direct the

Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...

film ''Newsflash'' with

Chris Pine Chris Pine (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' reboot film series (2009–present), Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films ''Wonder Woman'' (2017) and ''Won ...

set to portray Cronkite.

Personal life

Alfonso, who is of Mexican American descent, was born and raised in Laredo, Texas on the US/Mexico border where he attended

St. Augustine High School The name St. Augustine High School could refer to: In the United States: * St. Augustine Academy (Lakewood, Ohio) * St. Augustine High School (Laredo, Texas) * St. Augustine High School (New Orleans), Louisiana * St. Augustine High School (San Di ...

. He received his BFA from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

and his MFA from the

AFI Conservatory The AFI Conservatory is a private not-for-profit graduate film school in the Hollywood Hills district of Los Angeles. Students (called "Fellows") learn from the masters in a collaborative, hands-on production environment with an emphasis on st ...

. He dedicated ''Me and Earl and the Dying Girl'' to his father, Julio C. Gomez Rejon, MD.

Filmography

Film

Director * ''

The Town That Dreaded Sundown ''The Town That Dreaded Sundown'' is a 1976 American thriller horror film directed and produced by Charles B. Pierce, and written by Earl E. Smith. The film is loosely based on the 1946 Texarkana Moonlight Murders, crimes attributed to an unide ...

'' (2014) * ''

'' (2015) * ''

'' (2017) Second unit director * ''

Lucky Numbers ''Lucky Numbers'' is a 2000 black comedy film directed by Nora Ephron. The screenplay by Adam Resnick was inspired by the 1980 Pennsylvania Lottery scandal. It is the only film Ephron directed without also writing the screenplay. It is considered ...

'' (2000) * ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...

'' (2005) * ''

'' (2006) (Also casting consultant) * '' State of Play'' (2009) * ''

'' (2009) * ''

'' (2010) (Also casting director) * ''

The Eagle The eagle is a large bird of prey. Eagle or The Eagle may also refer to: Places England * Eagle, Lincolnshire, a village United States * Eagle, Alaska, a city * Eagle Village, Alaska, a census-designated place * Eagle, Colorado, a statut ...

'' (2011) * ''

'' (2012) Other credits

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gomez-Rejon, Alfonso Advertising directors American entertainment industry businesspeople American film directors of Mexican descent American television directors Living people New York University alumni AFI Conservatory alumni People from Laredo, Texas Film directors from Texas Horror film directors 1972 births