Alex michaelides age

Starting as an actor after graduation, Michaelides got an agent who introduced him to the entertainment industry. The result was not very satisfactory, however.

His first script, sponsored by an Oscar-winning producer, turned out tragic, and Michaelides enrolled in the American Film Institute to learn screenwriting. Following this, he created two more movies that were not famous but launched his writing career.

‘The Silent Patient,’ a million-copy bestselling thriller, was published in 2019 and was one of the twelve books selected for the 2020 Glass Bell Award.

Alex Michaelides describes himself as a screenwriter turned novelist.

Famous Books by Alex Michaelides

Currently, Michaelides has written about three movies and two novels.

‘The Silent Patient‘ –is a 2019 psychological thriller that gained universal popularity and became a major bestseller. The story centers on a prominent artist whose mental dilemma is exposed when she shoots her husband many times in the face and becomes permanently silent. The artist, Alicia, is then committed to a psychiatric faculty called The Grove. Intrigued by her talent and determined to restore Alicia’s speech and uncover the mystery behind her husband’s murder, Theo Faber obtains a job at The Grove. Penetrating deeply into Alicia’s past, he unveils the events leading to the murder of her spouse. The novel plot slowly untangles Theo’s personal life and struggles as he becomes more obsessed with his patient and her history. As the story climaxes, a shocking revelation comes forth, exposing the truth behind Alicia’s silence after the death of her husband. Obtaining significant attention from critics and readers, ‘The Silent Patient’ launched Michaelides into the limelight as a notable author of the thriller genre.

‘The Maidens’ – is an intriguing book featuring a covert society and Greek mythology. After the death of Tara, her closest friend, Zoe, believes the killer is Professor Edward Fosca. This is because he conducts private tutorials with some women he named ‘The Maidens.’ A clique Tara was a member of. Soon, another young woman from this group gets murdered. By the third victim, the University associated with the murders contemplates closing down. Interrogated about the death of members of his circle, Professor Fosca is indifferent. Zoe’s widowed aunt soon takes it upon herself to investigate the case and uncover Fosca’s cultish activities, risking her life while at it. Although without the shocking revelations of ‘The Silent Patient,’ secrets are properly veiled, preventing the reader from guessing the murderer until the latter part of this novel.

Early Life and Education

Michaelides was born on September 4, 1977, in Cyprus. His father was Greek, while his mother was English.

Although experiencing the conflict between the Greek and Turkish communities, Michaelides had a loving family. In the house, his mother organized famous works of literature. His love for writing was evident in the plays and stories he wrote and read out for validation. His passion for storytelling and literature motivated him to study English literature at Trinity College, Cambridge, and bag a bachelor’s degree.

When he completed his undergraduate studies, he acquired a master’s in screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Fascinated by human behavior, he studied psychotherapy for three years. His work as a psychotherapist in a secure psychiatric unit gave him valuable knowledge of the human psyche.

Literary Career

Since he grew up with a mother who created a small library, many books that influenced Michaelides’s literary career were within his reach. Authors like Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, and Dickens were strong influences.

Although he enjoyed these authors, his reading intensely peaked when he stumbled on Agatha Christie at eleven or twelve. At sixteen, he wrote his first novel about summers at the beach. Discouraged by the outcome, he put off writing books for over a decade. In an interview published in Phileleftheros, Michaelides explained how Greek mythology inspired his literary style.

Unsuccessful as a scriptwriter, Michaelides gave up and decided to re-chase his passion for writing. This decision led to the creation of his debut novel ‘The Silent Patient,’ which catapulted him to stardom. The book became an international bestseller, proving Michaelides’ talent in the psychological thriller genre.

He soon signed a two-book deal with Celadon Books worth millions. His second novel, ‘The Maidens’ was published in 2021 and garnered positive reviews for its complexity, atmospheric setting, and suspense.

Movie Career

Preceding his accomplishment as an author, Michaelides worked in the movie industry as a screenwriter. In an interview, he confessed that his films went from bad to worse. One of these movies was not released, while the last had a brief run in theatres. Michaelides decided to pursue the novel inspiration he had held off for 25 years.

Movies Michaelides wrote and co-wrote:

• ‘The Devil ‘The Devil You Know’ was directed by James Oakley, Alex Michaelides co-wrote The screenplay for this thriller in 2013.
• ‘The Con Is On’ was co-written in 2018.
• ‘The Disappearance of Alice Creed’ was not directly written by Michaelides. He served as the script editor.

Personal Life and Achievements

The 46-year-old hardly shares information about his private life. However, he keeps a verified Instagram account with about 40,000 followers. On his page, he shares photos and posts related to literature. According to Networthpost, Michaelides’ net worth is currently about 1 to 5 million dollars.

Nominations

• ‘The Silent Patient’ for Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Mystery and Thriller category in 2019.
• ‘The Silent Patient’ for the British Book Awards for Crime and Thriller Book of the Year award in 2019.
• Alex Michaelides for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award in 2019.

Literature by Alex Michaelides

Explore literature by Alex Michaelides below, created by the team at Book Analysis.