As of 2007, he has used Mick Gould as a technical advisor on three of his films: Heat (1995), Collateral (2004) and Miami Vice (2006). For all three of these films, Gould served as a weapons trainer, instructing cast members how to properly handle firearms.
Attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison and the International Film School in London.
Born at 12:45am-CWT.
Directed Brian Cox, Dennis Farina and Peter Dobson in one of two roles that they each share with Anthony Hopkins, Harvey Keitel and Val Kilmer. Cox and Farina played Hannibal Lecter and Jack Crawford in Manhunter (1986), roles played by Hopkins and Keitel in Red Dragon (2002). Farina and Keitel had both played Ray Barbone in Get Shorty (1995). Hopkins was playing King Lear with the Royal Shakespeare Company while "Manhunter" was in production. Cox was doing the same when The Silence of the Lambs (1991) was in production. Dobson plays Chris Sirhelis in L.A. Takedown (1989) (TV), which was remade as Heat (1995), with Kilmer. "Heat" was also directed by Mann. Kilmer played Elvis Presley in True Romance (1993), while Dobson played him (except for the vo
Directed four different performers in Oscar-nominated performances: Russell Crowe, Will Smith, Jon Voight and Jamie Foxx.
Directed the first Hannibal Lecter film (Manhunter (1986)), and produced The Aviator (2004), which at one point he had been attached to direct. Jonathan Demme, who directed The Silence of the Lambs (1991), also directed Melvin and Howard (1980), which also featured the character Howard Hughes.
During production of Manhunter (1986), he wanted Francis Dollarhyde (Tom Noonan) to have a tattoo of William Blake's "Red Dragon" painting on his back, but ended up discarding the idea after deciding the tattoo trivialized Dollarhyde's inner struggles. In the film's remake, Red Dragon (2002), director Brett Ratner decided to include the tattoo.
Father of Ami Canaan Mann.
Frequently uses the "thumbs up" sign after he feels that last take was the one.
Got an impressive knowledge about criminality and police procedures.
Has Ukrainian roots from his father's side.
He was executive producer of the "Miami Vice" (1984) TV series and among other things greatly responsible for the show's unique look and feel.
His favorite films are John Ford's My Darling Clementine (1946), Sergei M. Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925) (aka "Battleship Potemkin"), F.W. Murnau's Faust (1926), Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979), Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch (1969), Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad (1961) ("Last Year In Marienbad"), Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980), Orson Welles'
In 1985, sued William Friedkin for plagiarism, claiming that Friedkin stole the entire concept of "Miami Vice" (1984) when he made the movie To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) (which, ironically, starred William Petersen, who later played Will Graham in Manhunter (1986)). Mann lost the lawsuit. Despite this, the two directors are close friends nowadays. Friedkin even tease Mann in several interviews by saying "Michael Mann is one of my favorite directors because he tries to make films like mine!".
Is a close friend of legendary author Edward Bunker, since they both worked together on the adaptation of the novel "No Beast So Fierce", and independent film director Abel Ferrara.
Is one of Robert De Niro's favourite directors.
Member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Directors Branch) [2000-2006]
Owns a house in the canals of Fort Lauderdale, Fl, which was used in some "Miami Vice" (1984) TV scenes.
Tried to make an epic film about drug-trade in Southern California with screenwriter Shane Salerno. But they abandoned the project after 'Steven Soderbergh''s rival project, Traffic (2000), got green-lighted.
Was Will Smith's personal choice to direct Ali (2001). Spike Lee campaigned vigorously against Mann, saying that only a black director could do Ali's story justice.