Michael Phillips | |
|---|---|
 Phillips in 1978 | |
| Born | (1943-06-29)June 29, 1943 (age 82) |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth College (B.A.) New York University (J.D.) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Picture (1973) Palme d'Or (1976) |
Michael Phillips (born June 29, 1943) is an Americanfilm producer.
Phillips was born inBrooklyn and raised onLong Island. His mother, Shirley, was a schoolteacher and housewife; his father, Larry, was a garment manufacturer.[1] They later became dealers in ancient Asian art.[2] Phillips received a B.A. in history fromDartmouth College and a Juris Doctor fromNew York University School of Law.[3] After being admitted to theNew York Bar in 1969, he worked as a securities analyst on Wall Street. In 1971, he and his wife moved toMalibu, California and produced their first film,Steelyard Blues, starringJane Fonda andDonald Sutherland.[3]
In 1972, Phillips along with his then-wife,Julia Phillips, and producerTony Bill financed the development of the screenplay,The Sting for $3,500 in total.[3] In 1973, the film received theAcademy Award for Best Picture. Michael and Julia were the first husband-and-wife team to win the Best Picture award. The couple then producedTaxi Driver (which would go on to win thePalme D'Or at the 1976Cannes Film Festival) and Steven Spielberg'sClose Encounters of the Third Kind.[4]
In 1984, his production company, Mercury Entertainment, went public with the intention to capitalize on his prior successes.[5] Mercury planned to produce three to five films a year in the $10-million range[5] with operating and development costs to be paid by ABC Motion Pictures while production financing was provided by the major studios.[5] The 1984 filmThe Flamingo Kid and the 1991 filmDon't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead were not as successful as hoped and in 1992, Philips offered to take the company private repurchasing outstanding stock at seven cents on the dollar.[5] In 1986, he teamed up with Michael Douglas to launch a new company to produce independently financed features, and has option to buy Douglas' company Big Stick Inc.[6] In 2006, Mercury Entertainment was merged with Debmar Studios to formDebmar-Mercury (now a wholly owned subsidiary ofLions Gate Entertainment).
The Sting was inducted into theProducers Guild of America's Hall of Fame, granting each of its producers a Golden Laurel Award.[7] In June 2007,Taxi Driver was ranked as the 52nd-best American feature film of all time by theAmerican Film Institute.[8] In December 2007,Close Encounters was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by theLibrary of Congress and selected for preservation in theNational Film Registry.[9]
He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
| Year | Film | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Steelyard Blues | |
| The Sting | ||
| 1976 | Taxi Driver | |
| The Big Bus | Executive producer | |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | |
| 1981 | Heartbeeps | |
| 1982 | Cannery Row | |
| 1984 | The Flamingo Kid | |
| 1991 | Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead | Executive producer |
| Eyes of an Angel | Executive producer | |
| 1992 | Mom and Dad Save the World | |
| 1997 | Mimic | Executive producer |
| 2001 | Impostor | Executive producer |
| 2007 | The Last Mimzy |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Taxi Driver | Political Rally Attendee | Uncredited |
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | David's Dinosaur | Very special thanks |
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Flamingo Kid | Television pilot | |
| 1994 | Jane's House | Executive producer | Television film |
| The Companion | Television film | ||
| 1995 | Trailer Park | Co-executive producer | |
| 2024 | Earth Abides | Executive producer |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Inside the Legend | Thanks |
Phillips is a Trustee Professor atDodge College of Film and Media Arts, where he taught for several years.[10]
He has been married to writerJuliana Maio since 1987[11] and has three daughters, Kate, Amanda, and Natasha.[10]
