Skip to content
MovieCove
Edward Saxon

Edward Saxon

Producer and actor · St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Oscar winner · BAFTA Award nominee · 1 other major award body

Edward Saxon, an Oscar winner, is a graduate of the USC Peter Stark Producing Program. He is currently the endowed Chair of the program and a tenured professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He received his undergraduate degree at McGill University. Saxon produced the film THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, which swept Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture at the Academy Awards. His films have been nominated for over 20 Academy Awards and have won eight Oscars. Mr. Saxon also produced PHILADELPHIA (which won two Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Tom Hanks). He produced ADAPTATION, nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor winner Chris Cooper, and the Academy Award nominated documentary MANDELA: SON OF AFRICA, FATHER OF A NATION. Saxon has worked with stars including Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron, Nicolas Cage, Oprah Winfrey, Ethan Hawke, Michelle Pfeiffer and John Krasinski. Most recently, Mr. Saxon has been a producer of RAY DONOVAN, the Emmy Award winning Showtime series, starring Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight. He was also a producer on ENLIGHTENED, the acclaimed HBO comedy series, starring Laura Dern and Luke Wilson. He produced Sam Mendes' AWAY WE GO at Focus Features and OUR FAMILY WEDDING at Fox Searchlight which stars Forest Whitaker and America Ferrera. He has current television projects in development at multiple streamers. Other past credits include include: Tom Hanks' directorial debut, THAT THING YOU DO, ULEE'S GOLD, DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS, BELOVED, FAST FOOD NATION, SOMETHING WILD, and MIAMI BLUES. Saxon was a founding Advisory Board member of the Independent Film Channel, and has been a mentor for the Sundance Institute, Producer's Guild, and McGill University. He is a member of the Advisory Board of The Center for Body Computing at USC and speaks often on the importance of storytelling in business, healthcare and financial services. Mr. Saxon has extensive experience working in Haiti both as a documentary filmmaker and as an activist. Saxon is married to the artist, Kirsten Coyne. They have two daughters and live in Los Angeles.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

From
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Works as
Producer and actor
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 32 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 40% in 30 days

What are Edward Saxon's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
Bonds
23%
Self
22%
Morality
22%
Survival
12%
Society
9%
Power
8%
Ideas
4%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 7 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 12 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 12 · Intense 3

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

A split, not a type: Steady 9 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 4

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 10 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 6 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 4

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 8 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 5

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 10 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
8
Contemplative
8
Warm
7
Joyful
4
Other
23

How their films linger

Bittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet10
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

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 Edward Saxon's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Edward Saxon'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

32 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Monster: The Ed Gein Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 1 episode · as Polygraph Technician

  • Elsa & Fred(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Enlightened(2011)

    Show 10 episodes · Co-Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Our Family Wedding(2010)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Where the Wild Things Are(2009)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Away We Go(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Fast Food Nation(2006)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Adaptation.(2002)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Truth About Charlie(2002)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Opportunists(1999)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Storefront Hitchcock(1998)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Beloved(1998)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • SubwayStories: Tales from the Underground(1997)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Ulee's Gold(1997)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Mandela(1996)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • That Thing You Do!(1996)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Devil in a Blue Dress(1995)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • One Foot on a Banana Peel, the Other Foot in the Grave: Secrets from the Dolly Madison Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Executive Producer

  • The Ref(1994)

    as Reporter

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Philadelphia(1993)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Cousin Bobby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Producer

  • Women & Men 2: In Love There Are No Rules(1991)

    Co-Producer · as Ad Man (segment 'A Domestic Dilemma')

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Silence of the Lambs(1991)

    Producer · as Benjamin Raspail (Head in a Jar) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Miami Blues(1990)

    Executive Producer · as Krishna Ravindra

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Haiti: Dreams of Democracy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Executive Producer

  • Married to the Mob(1988)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Swimming to Cambodia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Associate Producer

  • Something Wild(1986)

    Executive Producer · as Kevin Stroup

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Trisha Brown's Accumulation with Talking Plus Watermotor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Producer

  • Charlie Johnson in the Flames (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • The Last of the Tribe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Zeitoun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles, 29 of them dated from 1986 to 2025.

Biggest box office

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

$273M worldwide

Highest rated

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Adaptation. (2002)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 32: 2 only acting, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thProducing29 of 32: 25 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thOther crew1 of 32: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

32 titles, 4 with more than one role — producing and acting overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1980s5 · 1 acting · 5 crew1990s14 · 4 acting · 13 crew2000s6 · crew2010s3 · crew2020s1 · acting

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

an Oscar and 1 other major award from 4 major nominations, 1992–2003.

WinNomination
  1. 2003
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
  2. 1992
    • Oscar, won · Best Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures

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 Edward Saxon's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 22; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 23 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · producer

Beloved (1998)

71st percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, producer

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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 Edward Saxon's work okay for kids?

Across up to 12 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles5–90 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity12 titles35–65 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles52–75 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles18–62 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles29–88 · median 52 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian 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 Edward Saxon work with?

People who share at least 2 of Edward Saxon's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jonathan Demme shares the most, 15.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles