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Paris Barclay

Paris Barclay

Director, producer and actor, also writer · Born June 30, 1956 (70) · Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA

2 Primetime Emmys · 2 other major award bodies

Paris Barclay (born June 30, 1956) is an American renowned Emmy-winning director and producer who served as the first African-American and first openly gay President of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) for two terms from 2013 to 2017.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 30, 1956 (70)
From
Chicago Heights, Illinois, USA
Works as
Director, producer and actor, also writer
Titles
43 on MovieCove · 65 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 36% in 30 days

What are Paris Barclay's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Society.

Genres

Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
29%
Society
18%
Bonds
18%
Self
16%
Survival
16%
Power
3%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 2 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Melancholic
6
Hopeful
4
Dread
3
Joyful
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Paris Barclay's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 37 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Hulu (17).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Paris Barclay's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

65 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It(2024)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Odyssey(2024)

    Show 18 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Brilliant Minds(2024)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • American Sports Story(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The Night Agent(2023)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • The Watcher(2022)

    Show 7 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • DAHMER - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Monster(2022)

    Show Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • With Love(2021)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • The Normal Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Director · Actor

  • Rebel(2021)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Station 19(2018)

    Show 105 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Pitch(2016)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The Bastard Executioner(2015)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows

  • Empire(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • How to Get Away with Murder(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Manhattan(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Extant(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Smash(2012)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • American Horror Story(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Chicago Code(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Miami Medical (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • NCIS: Los Angeles(2009)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • The Good Wife(2009)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Glee(2009)

    Show 10 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • The Mentalist(2008)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Pedro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Executive Producer · Story

  • Sons of Anarchy(2008)

    Show 79 episodes · Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • In Treatment(2008)

    Show 63 episodes · Director · Co-Executive Producer · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Dirt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · as Director

  • Weeds(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Numb3rs(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • Hate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Writer

  • House(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Huff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Lost(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • TV Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Cold Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 9 episodes · Director

  • 1MMs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Street Lawyer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • The Big Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • American Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Fastlane(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Monk(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Shield(2002)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(2000)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • City of Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 25 episodes · Director · Producer

  • The West Wing(1999)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Will & Grace(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Director

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Brooklyn South (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Cherokee Kid(1996)

    Director · as #1 Bad Cowboy

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Clueless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • America's Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Second Noah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Sliders(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · as Bureaucrat

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • ER(1994)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Diagnosis Murder(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • NYPD Blue(1993)

    Show 22 episodes · Director · Producer · Supervising Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Moon Over Miami (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Angel Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Silk Stalkings(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Dead Lawyers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 63 titles, 62 of them dated from 1990 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)

$21M worldwide

Highest rated

In Treatment (2008)

Midcredits 92nd

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 63: 2 only acting, 4 with another roleDirecting60 of 63: 46 only directing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thWriting3 of 63: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing10 of 63: 0 only producing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score76th

63 titles, 15 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

1990s16 · 3 acting · 15 crew2000s25 · 2 acting · 24 crew2010s11 · crew2020s10 · 1 acting · 10 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

2 Primetime Emmys and 3 other major awards from 22 major nominations, 1997–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
  2. 2021
    • Directors Guild Award, won
  3. 2014
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
  4. 2013
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
  5. 2010
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
    • +2 other major bodies · 3 nominations
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Long Form - Original
  6. 2009
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
  7. 2007
    • Directors Guild Award, won
  8. 2006
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night
Show 6 earlier years
  1. 2003
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night
  2. 2002
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night
  3. 2001
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night
  4. 1999
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night
  5. 1998
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
  6. 1997
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Paris Barclay's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 3; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 43 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · director, writer, producer

Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It (2024)

67th percentile spread · 11% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

House (2004)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 59/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 65, detractors 30. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Paris Barclay's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles45–97 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles45–73 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles49–89 · median 78 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 57 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Paris Barclay work with?

People who share at least 2 of Paris Barclay's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jennifer Lynch shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers