Mike Binder

A multi-hyphenate talent who earned acclaim and awards both in front of the camera and behind, actor-writer-director Mike Binder rose from the world of stand-up comedy to become an insightful creator of introspective dramas. After landing his first break doing stand-up on "Star Search," Binder headlined his own HBO comedy special "One Night Stand: Mike Binder" (1989), before making his writing and producing debut with Joe Roth's comedic drama "Coupe de Ville" (1990). From there, he wrote and directed the superhero parody, "Blankman" (1994) before starring in his own indie comedy "The Sex Monster" (1999). Following a supporting turn in the highly-acclaimed political drama "The Contender" (2000), he created the popular, but ultimately short-lived series "The Mind of a Married Man" (HBO, 2001-02), which divided critics but attracted a loyal audience. After another supporting turn in a high-profile film, "Minority Report" (2002), Binder was back in the director's chair with loftier dramatic films like "The Upside of Anger" (2005), "Man About Town" (2006) and "Reign Over Me" (2007), which earned him some of his most vocal critical praise. Despite a varied career, Binder had always followed his own path and remained one of the more unique talents working in film.