Michael Bay Wiki, Bio, Age, Net Worth, and Other Facts

Below is a compiled list of the most interesting facts about Michael Bay. Check it out!

A graduate of Wesleyan University, Michael Bay spent his 20s working on advertisements and music videos. His first projects after film school were in the music video business. He created music videos for Tina Turner, Meat Loaf, Lionel Richie, Wilson Phillips, Donny Osmond and Divinyls. His work won him recognition and a number of MTV award nominations. He also filmed advertisements for Nike, Reebok, Coca-Cola, Budweiser and Miller Lite. He won the Grand Prix Clio for Commercial of the Year for his “Got Milk/Aaron Burr” commercial. At Cannes, he has won the Gold Lion for The Best Beer campaign for Miller Lite, as well as the Silver for “Got Milk”. In 1995, Bay was honored by the Directors Guild of America as Commercial Director of the Year. That same year, he also directed his first feature film, Bad Boys (1995), starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, which grossed more than $160 million, worldwide. His follow-up film, The Rock (1996), starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage, was also hugely successful, making Bay the director du jour.

Interesting Facts about Michael Bay

Shot over 1 million feet of film for Pearl Harbor (2001). Used only about 20,000 feet for the final, 9-reel cut.
Joined Propaganda Films two weeks out of graduate school. He befriended actor Djimon Hounsou, who was working across the street at a modeling agency. Djimon Hounsou later appeared in The Island (2005).
Owns two English Mastiff dogs, named Grace after the character played by Liv Tyler in Armageddon (1998) and Bonecrusher after the Decepticon that appeared in Transformers (2007). His bullmastiff Mason Rock Bay named the character Sean Connery played in the The Rock (1996)) died of old age in 2007.
He considers himself an old school director, preferring analog over digital, both in shooting on film stock and keeping CGI shots to a minimum, staging practical action and stunts whenever possible.
Cousin of Susan Bay Nimoy, cousin-in-law of Leonard Nimoy.
Ranked #47 on Premiere’s 2005 Power 50 List. Previously ranked #54 in 2004.
Has produced remakes to five cult horror films: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), The Amityville Horror (2005), The Hitcher (2007), Friday the 13th (2009) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010).
Was offered the chance to direct Man on Fire (2004).
Michael was adopted when he was two weeks old, by Harriet (Markowitz) and Sheldon James “Jim” Bay, who raised him. He has a sister, Lisa Bay.
Was considered to direct Planet of the Apes (2001).
Was offered the chance to direct Red Dragon (2002) but turned it down. Job went to Brett Ratner.
Was classmates with Joss Whedon in Wesleyan University. For graduate work, Bay attended the Art Center College of Design where he was classmates with Zack Snyder and Tarsem Singh.

Personal Quotes by Michael Bay

I’m at that point in my life where I definitely want to get married soon. I’ve got my dogs as surrogates, but I’m ready for kids.
Michael Bay

I look at directing as a sporting event. It’s a race, a marathon. It’s great when it clicks, which is why I push my crews so hard so we can excel.
Michael Bay

A lot of directors don’t want the pressure of a movie the size of Pearl Harbor. But I love it. I thrive on it.
Michael Bay

I’m done with effects movies for now. When you do a movie like ‘Transformers’, it can feel like you’re doing three movies at once – which is tiring.
Michael Bay