Mike Binder
USABiography of Mike Binder
Mike Binder is an American director, screenwriter, and actor. He was born in 1958 in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of seventeen, Binder left his hometown and moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of his dream to become a comedian. With the encouragement of his father, he started working as a doorman at the famous Comedy Store club and occasionally performed on stage. His genre was stand-up comedy, and audiences found this young man truly funny.
In 1979, Binder made his first appearance on television in "Can You Hear the Laughter? The Story of Freddie Prinze," directed by Bert Brinkerhoff. A year later, he showcased his comedic talents in Floyd Mutrux's film "The Hollywood Knights." In 1983, Binder landed his first leading role in Barry Levinson's short film "Diner." As he continued acting in films and TV series, Binder realized his passion for being behind the camera and wanted to try his hand at screenwriting.
In 1990, Joe Roth directed Binder's first film script, the comedy-drama "Coupe de Ville," which tells the story of three brothers reuniting after five years apart. In 1992, Binder wrote and directed his own film, "Crossing the Bridge," a drama about three young friends involved in a dangerous drug adventure. In 1994, he acted as both an actor and director in the comedy-action film "Blankman," which also marked the acting debut of Greg Kinnear.
Binder's next directorial project was the comedy-drama "Indian Summer" in 1993, set in the summer camp Camp Tamakwa, where Binder spent most of his childhood vacations. The film portrays adults, who were once children running around the camp, now reconnecting and reliving events from their past.
In 1999, Binder wrote and directed the comedy "The Sex Monster," in which he also played the lead role. His performance earned him the "Best Actor" award at the Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, and the film itself was recognized as the "Best Film." Two years later, Binder repeated the combination of "screenwriter-director-lead actor" in the comedies "Londinium" and "The Search for John Gissing." "Londinium" was featured in several film festivals and won the "Critics Award" at the Sarasota Festival.
After a busy year in 2001, Binder took a short creative break and focused on acting in films. In 2005, he presented his new project, the comedy-drama "The Upside of Anger," starring Kevin Costner and Joan Allen. Binder wrote the screenplay specifically for Allen, whom he had met in 2000 on the set of "The Contender" directed by Rod Lurie.
In 2006, Binder directed the comedy "Man About Town," featuring an all-star cast led by Ben Affleck. The following year, he invited Adam Sandler to play the lead role in his drama film "Reign Over Me." Some of Binder's recent works in film include his role in Rebecca Miller's drama "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" in 2009, where he co-starred with Robin Wright Penn.
