Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips (born June 29, 1943) is an American film producer.

Early life and education Phillips was born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island. His mother, Shirley, was a schoolteacher and housewife; his father, Larry, was a garment manufacturer. They later became dealers in ancient Asian art. Phillips received a B.A. in history from Dartmouth College and a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law. After being admitted to the New York Bar in 1969, he worked as a securities analyst on Wall Street. In 1971, he and his wife moved to Malibu, California and produced their first film, Steelyard Blues, starring Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland.

In 1984, his production company, Mercury Entertainment, went public with the intention to capitalize on his prior successes. Mercury planned to produce three to five films a year in the $10-million range In 2006, Mercury Entertainment was merged with Debmar Studios to form Debmar-Mercury (now a wholly owned subsidiary of Lions Gate Entertainment).

The Sting was inducted into the Producers Guild of America's Hall of Fame, granting each of its producers a Golden Laurel Award. In June 2007, Taxi Driver was ranked as the 52nd-best American feature film of all time by the American Film Institute. In December 2007, Close Encounters was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Personal life Phillips is a Trustee Professor at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where he taught for several years.

He has been married to writer Juliana Maio since 1987 and has three daughters, Kate, Amanda, and Natasha.

Select filmography He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film 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

As an actor

Year Film Role Notes 1976 Taxi Driver Political Rally Attendee

Thanks

Year Film Role 2017 David's Dinosaur Very special thanks

Television 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

Thanks

Year Title Role 2012 Inside the Legend Thanks