Born to Greek parents in Egypt, Alex Proyas and his family arrived in Australia when he was three years old. Trained at the Australian Film, Television, and Radio School, Proyas has directed numerous science-fiction films with dark, post-apocalyptic overtones.
His earliest films as director were short films completed in the early to mid-1980s: Neon and Groping (both 1980), Strange Residues (1981), and Spineless (1987). During this period, he also directed a number of music videos, including 'In Your Eyes' (Dropbears, 1985), 'Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)', (INXS, 1986), 'Magic Touch', (Mike Oldfield), 'Don't Dream It's Over', (Crowded House, 1987), 'Holiday' (The Other Ones, 1987), 'Rhythm of Love' (Yes, 1987), 'Better Be Home Soon' (Crowded House, 1988), and 'Mysteries of Love (Songlines)' (Alphaville, 1989).
His first film as script-writer was the independent post-apocalyptic science-fiction film Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989), which attracted two AFI Award nominations (for costume design and production design). He followed this with the short film Book of Dreams: 'Welcome to Crateland', which he both directed and wrote.
In 1994, Proyas directed the fantasy-horror film The Crow, in which a man returns from the grave to avenge his and his fiancée's brutal murders. Best known, perhaps, as the film during which lead actor Brandon Lee was accidentally killed on set, the film was nominated for four Saturn Awards from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA (for Best Costumes, Best Director, Best Horror Film, and Best Special Effects) and two MTV Movie Awards (for Best Male Performance and Best Movie), and won another MTV Movie Award (for Best Movie Song) and a BMI Film Music Award.
In 1998, Proyas wrote (with Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer) and directed the science-fiction film Dark City, in which a man struggles with memories of a life that he can't recall living. The film won a Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film (for which it tied with Armageddon) and a Bram Stoker Award (for which it tied with Gods and Monsters), and was nominated for numerous other awards, including a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
Proyas's next film was Garage Days (2002), which he co-wrote with Dave Warner and Michael Udesky, as well as directing. The film was nominated for three AFI Awards (Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Production Design, and Best Sound) and an IF Award (Best Music).
After Garage Days, Proyas concentrated on directing rather than script-writing, directing the science-fiction film I, Robot (2004), based on Isaac Asimov's stories: the film was nominated for an Academy Award (Best Achievement in Visual Effects), two Saturn Awards (Best Science Fiction Film and Best Special Effects), a Visual Effects Society Award (Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture), and a Black Reel Award (Best Film, Drama). He followed this by directing Knowing (2009), a science-fiction film in which a time capsule buried at a school reveals chilling predictions of the future: the film was nominated for a Saturn Award (Best Science Fiction Film).
Proyas returns to script-writing with his forthcoming directorial project, the science-fiction film The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (forthcoming 2013), based on a novel by Robert Heinlein.
