Biography

M. Night Shyamalan

Born Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan · Aug. 6, 1970 · Mahé, Puducherry, India

M. Night Shyamalan was raised in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, after his parents, both doctors, emigrated to the United States.

He attended a private Episcopal school in Philadelphia and then New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. While at NYU he took on his middle name, "Night."

He has written and directed every film on this site, from Praying with Anger to Remain, and in 2026 began talking to fans directly on his own YouTube channel.

All the films Night on YouTube

17 Features From Praying with Anger (1992) to Remain (2027) 34 Years making films Since Praying with Anger in 1992 $1.47B At the box office Domestic box office, 15 films 2 Oscar nominations Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, The Sixth Sense 2008 Padma Shri Awarded by the Government of India

In his words

“When I'm scared, I usually feel like I'm doing something right.”

M. Night Shyamalan · 2026 · via JoBlo, Aug. 28, 2026

1970 → 2027

A life in moons

1970 Born in Mahé, India Born Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan on Aug. 6 in Mahé, Puducherry. Raised in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania; schooled at Waldron Mercy Academy and Episcopal Academy.

1992 NYU, a wedding, a first film Graduates from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, marries Bhavna Vaswani, and releases his first feature, Praying with Anger.

1999 The Sixth Sense Opens Aug. 6, his 29th birthday. The film earns six Academy Award nominations, two of them his: Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

2008 Padma Shri Receives the Padma Shri from the Government of India.

2013 I Got Schooled Publishes his book I Got Schooled (Simon & Schuster).

2015 – 16 Wayward Pines Executive produces the TV series and directs its pilot.

2019 – 23 Servant Executive producer and showrunner of the series; directs several episodes, including the pilot.

Aug. 2026 His own YouTube channel Launches @MNight with a video reading from the diary he kept while making Signs.

Feb. 5, 2027 Remain His 17th feature, from a story he shares with Nicholas Sparks, opens from Warner Bros.