Michael Bay Biography

(One of the Most Commercially Successful Film Directors in History)

Birthday: February 17, 1965 (Aquarius)

Born In: Los Angeles, California, United States

Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is the adopted son of Harriet and Jim Bay. He attended Crossroads School, in Santa Monica, California. At fifteen, he interned with George Lucas during the production of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Impressed by the movie, he decided to become a film director. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1986, majoring in English and Film. He began his career by working in the music video business, and created music videos for popular singers like Tina Turner, Meat Loaf and Lionel Richie, and won MTV award nominations. His first movie venture was “Bad Boys”. He followed it up with “The Rock”. His “Armageddon” grossed over $553 million worldwide. However, “Pearl Harbor” failed to impress audiences. Bay along with Scott Gardenhour formed The Institute for the Development of Enhanced Perceptual Awareness. He also founded the production house Platinum Dunes with Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, and rolled out re-makes of classic horror movies including “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”. He teamed with Steven Spielberg to produce “Transformers”. He was director and executive producer for the sequels, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”. Bay has received five MTV Movie Awards for “Transformers”, “Pearl Harbor”, “Bad Boys II” and “The Rock”.
19
Quick Facts

Also Known As: Michael Benjamin Bay

Age: 59 Years, 59 Year Old Males

Family:

father: Jimmy Bay

mother: Harriet Bay

Directors T V & Movie Producers

Height: 6'1" (185 cm), 6'1" Males

Ancestry: Russian American

U.S. State: California

City: Los Angeles

More Facts

education: Wesleyan University, Art Center College Of Design

awards: 1996 - ShoWest Convention Award for Favorite Movie of the Year
1998 - MTV Movie Award for Best Action Sequence
1998 - Saturn Award for Best Director

1998 - Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film
2001 - Huabiao Film Award for Outstanding Translated Foreign Film
2001 - MTV Movie Award for Best Action Sequence
2001 - Teen Choice Award for Best Drama/Action Adventure Movie
2007 - MTV Movie Award for Best Movie
2007 - MTV Movie Award for Best Summer Movie
2009 - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
2009 - Scream Award for Best Sequel
2009 - Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Obviously Worst Film
2011 - Scream Award for Best 3-D Movie
2011 - Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Obviously Worst Film

Childhood & Early Life
Michael Bay was born on February 17, 1965 in Los Angeles, California. He was adopted by Harriet and Jim Bay, a CPA, when he was two weeks old.
He was raised Jewish. His cousin, Susan Bay, is the wife of Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy. He attended Crossroads School, in Santa Monica, California.
Fifteen-year-old Bay interned with George Lucas, filing the storyboards for “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. He was impressed on seeing the movie in the theater and decided to become a film director.
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Career & Later Life
Bay graduated from Wesleyan University in 1986, majoring in English and Film. He was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity. He attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena for his graduate work.
After his post-graduation, Bay began working at Propaganda Films, directing commercials and music videos. Capitol Records picked up his 90-second World War II-inspired Coca-Cola advertisement.
While working in the music video business, he created music videos for Tina Turner, Meat Loaf, Lionel Richie, Wilson Phillips, Donny Osmond and The Divinyls, and won MTV award nominations.
His first movie was “Bad Boys” in 1994, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The film grossed a $141 million at the box office.
His second movie was “The Rock” - an action movie starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. It was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson in 1996.
In 2001, Bay directed “Pearl Harbor” and co-produced it with Jerry Bruckheimer. It starred Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The film was released on Memorial Day weekend.
Bay founded the production house Platinum Dunes with fellow producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form in 2001. The company’s first film was a remake of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”.
In Bay’s fifth collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer “Bad Boys II”, Bay reteamed with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The film grossed $273 million worldwide, almost twice as much as the first movie.
In 2005, Bay produced and directed “The Island”, a science-fiction film starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. The Island cost $126 million to produce, and earned $172 million worldwide.
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Bay was director and executive producer of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” released in 2009. In spite of negative reviews by critics, it was well received by audiences, and grossed over $832 million worldwide.
Platinum Dunes produced remakes of classic horror films, and introduced new directors like Sam Bayer and Marcus Nispel. The horror film “A Nightmare on Elm Street” starring Jackie Earle Haley was released in 2010.
Bay directed “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011). His next film “Pain & Gain” was a true crime story concerning a group of bodybuilders working together to commit a robbery.
He produced “I Am Number Four”, based on a series of novels by Pittacus Lore. It was directed by D. J. Caruso. He also produced Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s novel “Gideon’s Sword”.
Paramount Pictures announced that Bay will produce and direct “Transformers: Age of Extinction” and the film was released in June 2014.
Recommended Lists:
Major Works
In 1998, Bay directed, and co-produced “Armageddon” with Jerry Bruckheimer. The film is about oil drillers who are sent by NASA to deflect an asteroid away from a collision with Earth. It grossed over $553 million worldwide.
Bay and Scott Gardenhour formed The Institute for the Development of Enhanced Perceptual Awareness to produce commercials and other projects. Bay has directed and produced commercials for Victoria’s Secret, Lexus, Budweiser, Reebok, and Nike.
In 2007, he directed “Transformers” teaming with Steven Spielberg to produce it. The film earned over $319 million domestically and over $708 million worldwide.
Awards & Achievements
Bay has received five MTV Movie Awards: Best Movie and Best Summer Movie You Haven’t Seen Yet for “Transformers” and Best Action Sequence for “Pearl Harbor”, “Bad Boys II” and “The Rock”.
His commercials have won him major awards including Cannes’ Golden Lion and the Grand Prix Clio. In 1994, Bay received an award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials from the Directors Guild of America.
Bay received the ShoWest 2009 Vanguard Award for excellence in filmmaking. Two years later, he was honored at the Transformers Hall of Fame for directing the Transformers live-action films.
Personal Life & Legacy
Bay’s personal life remains a mystery. He has claimed that he was the illegitimate child of a popular 1970s director, and that director John Frankenheimer was his biological father. However, a DNA test returned negative.
He has been associated with Playboy model Jaime Bergman, and Cara Michelle. He is currently single. He lives in Miami, Florida, with his two bullmastiffs, Bonecrusher and Grace. His dog Mason appeared the film “Transformers”.
Trivia
This director-producer attached firecrackers to a toy train, and filmed the following fiery disaster with his mother’s 8mm camera as a boy. The fire department was called to contain it, and he was grounded.

Michael Bay Movies

1. A Quiet Place (2018)

  (Drama, Sci-Fi, Horror, Thriller)

2. The Rock (1996)

  (Action, Thriller, Adventure)

3. 13 Hours (2016)

  (Drama, Thriller, War, History, Action)

4. Bumblebee (2018)

  (Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure)

5. Transformers (2007)

  (Adventure, Action, Sci-Fi)

6. Bad Boys for Life (2020)

  (Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller)

7. The Island (2005)

  (Romance, Adventure, Action, Thriller, Sci-Fi)

8. Bad Boys (1995)

  (Thriller, Drama, Action, Comedy, Crime)

9. Armageddon (1998)

  (Thriller, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action)

10. Bad Boys II (2003)

  (Comedy, Action, Thriller, Crime)

See the events in life of Michael Bay in Chronological Order

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Article Title
- Michael Bay Biography
Author
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Website
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URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/michael-bay-4984.php

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