Reign Over Me

Background:

"...People like my work, but the industry doesn’t think a lot of me. I don’t know why that is. Maybe it’s because I never had a hit. I’ve never been the flavor of the week." Mike Binder

Starting out as a comedian, Mike Binder branched out to screen writing, film directing and acting. He has acted, written and directed such films as "Crossing the Bridge" (1992), "The Sex Monster" (1999), "Londinium" (2001), "The Search for John Gissing" (2001), "The Upside of Anger" (2005), "Man About Town" (2006) and "Reign Over Me" (2007). He is currently writing the screenplay of an upcoming drama film based on the novel by Kathleen Jacobs, "The Friday Night Knitting Club," which will star Julia Roberts.

As for his personal life, the 5' 8" award-winning screenwriter/director/actor has been married to Diane Murphy and has two children with her.

Detroit Roots

Childhood and Family:

Born in Detroit in 1958, Mike Binder was raised in Detroit's suburbs in Birmingham, Michigan. He went to Birmingham Seaholm High School and graduated in 1976. He also attended Camp Tamakwa.

Binder has one younger brother, Jack, with whom he formed “Sunlight Productions.” He is currently married to Diane Murphy and has two kids.

Man About Town

Career:

Starting out as a stand-up comic, young Mike Binder performed at different clubs in southeastern Michigan and southern California. He first appeared on television in 1979 in the true story-based TV movie "Can You Hear the Laughter? The Story of Freddie Prinze.” The following year, he made his big screen debut in Floyd Mutrux's comedy movie "The Hollywood Knights," starring Robert Wuhl, Tony Danza and Michelle Pfeiffer.

After competing against Bob Dubac in the original “Star Search” (1983) pilot in the Comedy category, Binder performed stand-up comedy opposite legends Jim Carrey and Robin Williams in “The Eleventh Anniversary of the Comedy Store” (1983). He also acted in the busted pilot for a series based on Barry Levinson's critically acclaimed feature, "Diner," and had a recurring role on ABC’s popular family sitcom "Full House."

Binder's acts later came to the attention of HBO bosses who gave him a chance to make his own episode in their stand-up series “One Night Stand,” in March 1990. Meanwhile, he also worked on his screenwriting skills and made his feature screenwriting and producing debut with the period drama/comedy "Coup de Ville," which was directed by Joe Roth. The film, about three brothers traveling across country in 1963, stars Patrick Dempsey, Arye Gross, Daniel Stern and Alan Arkin. It received tepid reviews at the time it was released, but became something of a cult hit.

“The whole idea behind 'Coupe de Ville' was such a personal one. It was a real true story that had happened to my father and his two brothers. In fact, we were told that story at ever holiday gathering and I always said 'that's a great movie.' So I wrote it and this guy, Joe Roth, came along to direct it and I just hated what he did to it and I thought if I'm going to have this stuff and it's going to be that personal to me, I'm going to have to direct it too. And after that, nobody has ever directed anything else I've written.” Mike Binder

In 1992, Binder made his directorial debut with the uneven "Crossing the Bridge," which he also scripted and narrated. The film, loosely based on Binder's friends during the late 1970's, focuses on the relationships between three teenage friends played by Josh Charles, Jason Gedrick and Stephen Baldwin.

Binder subsequently directed his second film in 1993, the poignant "Indian Summer," which he also wrote. It tells the story about a final reunion between a group of friends (Diane Lane, Vincent Spano, Elizabeth Perkins, Alan Arkin and Bill Paxton) prior to the closing of their old summer camp.

The following year, Binder directed the superhero comedy film “Blankman,” in which he also appeared alongside stars Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier. The film turned out to be a box office flop.

Binder revived his career in 1999 when he made his first feature produced under his own production company “Sunlight Productions,” the erotic comedy film “The Sex Monster,” which he wrote, directed and co-starred in. His performance as a neurotic businessman who encourages his wife (played by Mariel Hemingway) to engage in a threesome, won him a Best Actor award at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.

Entering the new millennium, Binder Binder starred in, wrote and directed the romantic comedy "Londinium" (aka “Fourplay”), essentially a British remake of "The Sex Monster.” Featuring Binder, Irene Jacob, Mariel Hemingway and Colin Firth, the film was produced by Binder's “Sunlight Productions.”

Binder also acted as the Legal Counsel for the Vice President nominee (played by Joan Allen) in writer/director Rod Lurie's political thriller "The Contender," which won Binder the Alan J. Pakula Award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association. He recalled, “When Rod Lurie called me to do 'The Contender,' I was so busy and had just come back from making a movie in London and I really wanted to take the summer off. I didn't want to go to Richmond, Virginia. But when he said Joan Allen's the star, I got on a plane and went, you know?”

Next, Binder served as series creator, executive producer, writer and star of the HBO sitcom "The Mind of the Married Man" (2001-2002), which focused on the challenges of modern-day married life from a male perspective. The show, which also stars Sonya Walger, Taylor Nichols and Jake Weber, ran for two seasons and produced twenty episodes. It received mixed reviews from critics, but was popular with a loyal audience. The third season never materialized and as yet only the first season has been released on DVD.

Meanwhile, Binder wrote, directed and starred in the comedy feature "The Search for John Gissing" (2001). Binder said, "I really had fun making it [The Search for John Gissing], you know. I really did. We had a good time I just never got it together to get it released the way I wanted to so I put up a lot of my own money, family money, friends, and I just never got it out the way I wanted to get it out."

In 2002, Binder had a featured role in the Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated futuristic thriller starring Tom Cruise, “Minority Report,” loosely based on the Philip K. Dick's 1956 short story. Three years later, he was back in the director's chair to helm the indie drama that was screened at Sundance, "The Upside of Anger," starring Joan Allen and Kevin Costner. Binder also appeared as a lecherous 40 something year old man in the film. Being asked about his own definition of the "upside" of “anger,” Binder explained, “Well, I think that the upside of anger is a positive force that could be a force for change, a driving force or a forward movement. Anger is no good if you stay in it too long. But if you use it as fuel to another chapter in your life, I think it's great.”

2006 saw Binder star in, write and direct the independent drama/comedy film "Man About Town," which also features Ben Affleck, Rebecca Romijn, John Cleese, Bai Ling, and Jerry O'Connell. The film was released direct-to-DVD on February 13, 2007, despite a theatrical release in many countries around the world. Binder later admitted, “I don’t think 'Man About Town' came out as good as it could have. But I think Ben [Affleck] is really good in it. I think that Lionsgate just figured that it’s a show business movie. I think it could have done some business. Ben got good reviews for 'Hollywoodland.' I think they made a mistake, but I’ve never met anyone at Lionsgate so I can’t really talk to them about it.”

Binder, who was being interviewed by “Good Morning America’s” Diane Sawyer on the morning of September 11, 2001, went on to write, direct and act (as an accountant named Sugarman) in "Reign Over Me" (2007), a post-9/11 two-character drama starring Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle. Distributed by Columbia Pictures on March 23, 2007, the film was released to DVD on October 9, 2007.

It has been announced that Binder will write the adaptation and screenplay of an upcoming drama film based on the novel by Kathleen Jacobs, "The Friday Night Knitting Club," which will star Julia Roberts.

Awards:

• Broadcast Film Critics Association: Alan J. Pakula Award, "The Contender," 2001

• U.S. Comedy Arts Festival: Best Actor, "The Sex Monster," 1999