Mike White (filmmaker)
Michael Christopher White (born June 28, 1970) is an American writer, actor and producer for television and film, and reality television show contestant. He has won numerous awards, including the Independent Spirit John C*avetes Award for the 2000 film Chuck & Buck, which he wrote and starred in. He has written the screenplays for films such as School of Rock (2003) and has directed several films that he has written, such as Brad's Status (2017). He was the co-creator, executive producer, writer, director and actor on the HBO series Enlightened. White is also known for his appearances on reality television, competing on two seasons of The Amazing Race and later becoming a contestant and runner-up on Survivor. He created, wrote, and directed the 2021 HBO satire comedy miniseries The White Lotus.
Contents
- 1 Personal life
- 2 Career
- 2.1 The Amazing Race
- 2.2 Survivor
- 3 Filmography
- 3.1 Films
- 3.1.1 Filmmaking credits
- 3.1.2 Acting credits
- 3.2 Television
- 3.2.1 Filmmaking credits
- 3.2.2 Acting credits
- 3.2.3 Non-acting credits
- 3.1 Films
- 4 Awards and nominations
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Personal life
White was born in Pasadena, California. He attended Polytechnic School and Wesleyan University. White is the son of Lyla Lee (née Loehr), a fundraising executive, and Reverend Dr. James Melville "Mel" White, a former speechwriter and ghostwriter for Religious Right figures such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. White is openly bisexual. His father came out as gay in 1994.
Career
White was a writer and producer on Dawson's Creek and Freaks and Geeks and wrote and acted in the films Chuck & Buck, The Good Girl, Orange County, School of Rock and Nacho Libre. He also had a role in the 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives, and the 2008 film Smother. Chuck & Buck, in which White portrayed a manchild who stalks his childhood friend, was named the best film of 2000 by Entertainment Weekly. In an interview with The New York Times, Jeff Bridges called White's performance in Chuck & Buck "the performance of the decade".
He frequently collaborates with actor–writer Jack Black on films. Together they formed the production company Black and White, which closed in 2006. White is not a fan of cl*ic rock, but he wrote School of Rock specifically so Black could perform his own favorite rock music.
White made his directorial debut with the self-penned Year of the Dog at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. He was a member of the US Dramatic Jury at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Laura Dern brought White into a project with HBO which became the series Enlightened that premiered on October 10, 2011. Dern's character, Amy Jellicoe, goes to a Hawaiian retreat after her professional life publicly implodes, and is introduced to meditation. White himself had suffered an on-the-job meltdown while running an earlier television series, and incorporated elements of that experience, as well as his own exploration of Buddhist meditation, into the new series' plot. White wrote the pilot and all the episodes in the first and second seasons.
White co-wrote the screenplay for computer-animated film The Emoji Movie, for which he received a Golden Raspberry Award. He wrote and directed the 2017 film Brad's Status.
In 2021, White created, wrote, and directed The White Lotus, a satire limited series for HBO.
In February 2022, it was announced White would write two upcoming animated films for Universal Pictures and Illumination: the original comedy Migration, set to be released on June 30, 2023, and the fourth installment in the Despicable Me franchise, set to be released on July 23, 2024.
The Amazing Race
He appeared on the fourteenth season of The Amazing Race along with his father Mel. They lasted for seven legs before being eliminated in sixth place in *et, Thailand. Mel and Mike returned to compete in The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business, where they were the second team eliminated in *an.
Survivor
White was a contestant on Survivor: David vs. Goliath, as a member of the Goliath tribe, then to reshuffled Jabeni tribe and the merged Kalokalo tribe. He made it to Day 39 and received three jury votes, finishing in second place behind the winner Nick Wilson.
White said he had been a big fan of the show, and because of his connections had developed a friendship with the show's host Jeff Probst, providing the host suggestions towards improving the show. For instance, Probst stated that it was White who discouraged him from bringing back Redemption Island for Survivor: San Juan del Sur. At some point White decided to start trying out to be a participant of the show, but he failed to be picked over what he believed was a concern of having "sloppy seconds" from other reality television programs. White noted that once he was selected, he had had no other conversations with Probst until the game was concluded.
Filmography
Films
Filmmaking credits
Acting credits
Television
Filmmaking credits
Acting credits
Non-acting credits
Awards and nominations
- Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics *ociation Awards (Critics Choice Award) for Best Song: School of Rock
- Deauville Film Festival (Acting Prize): Chuck & Buck
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature - Under $500,000: Chuck & Buck
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay: The Good Girl
- Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards (Sierra Award) for Best Song: School of Rock
- Nominated – Golden Satellite Award for Best Screenplay, Original: The Good Girl
- Seattle International Film Festival (New American Cinema Award) for Best Writer: Chuck & Buck
- Golden Raspberry Award (Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay): The Emoji Movie
References
External links
- Hirschmann, Lisa (May 28, 2003). "Renowned Alumnus White To Address Graduates of the Cl* of 2003". The Paw Print. Pasadena: Polytechnic School. Archived from the original on December 22, 2003. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
- Mike White at IMDb
- July 2000 article about White from The Village Voice