Paul Thomas Anderson (born January 11970) is an American filmmaker. He was born in California but grew up in Cleveland. He is best known for making works with a large cast and complex stroylines. He is part of the first generation of "VCR filmakers", who, through seeing thousands of films on video has an encyclopedic knowledge of technique and cultural references. In his feature films he frequently casts the same group of actors, including Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Melora Walters. Usually this group is supplemented with a major star or two such as Burt Reynolds, Tom Cruise, or Adam Sandler.
