Trivia

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!".

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.

Is one of Robert De Niro's favourite directors.

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 Red Dragon (2002), the second adaptation of Thomas Harris's novel, director Brett Ratner decided to include the tattoo and the subplot about Blake's painting "The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun" (ca.1803-1805).

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.

Directed four different performers in Oscar-nominated performances: Russell Crowe, Will Smith, Jon Voight and Jamie Foxx.

Was 38 years old when he released his first feature film.

Mann attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison and received a B.A. in English. He went to the UK in 1965 to study film and graduated from the London International Film School. First gained working experiences in TV and film production, Mann returned to the USA in 1971.

Michael Mann listed in BFI's 'Sight and Sound' Poll 2002 the following 10 films as the best ever: John Ford's My Darling Clementine (1946), Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925), 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), Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980), Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941) and Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).

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.

Has an impressive knowledge of criminality and police procedures gained through empirical research in law enforcement.

Directed Manhunter (1986), the first 'Hannibal Lecter' film based on the novel "Red Dragon", published by author Thomas Harris in 1981. Brett Ratner's Red Dragon (2002) is the second film based on the novel. Both films share the cinematographer Dante Spinotti and the (executive) producer Dino De Laurentiis but are very different adaptations.

Was a close friend of legendary author Edward Bunker, since they both worked together on an adaptation of his novel "No Beast So Fierce", published in 1973. It later became the screenplay for Straight Time (1978), but Mann is not credited anymore as a writer.

Is a friend of independent film director Abel Ferrara. Ferrara directed at the beginning of his career 2 episodes of executive producer Mann's popular TV series Miami Vice (1984) and the pilot of Mann's second TV series "Crime Story"(1986).

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.

Suggested Jackie Chan to receive the Honorary Award of the Board of Governors by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 2017. After Mann's suggestion the whole board agreed unanimously for the first time ever.

Frequently uses the "thumbs up" sign after he feels that last take was the one.

Owns a house in the canals of Fort Lauderdale, Fl, which was used in some Miami Vice (1984) TV scenes.

Has Ukrainian roots from his father's side.

Announced that he will direct and co produce with George Clooney Gates of Fire, based on the epic Greek Battle of Thermopylae in 480BC when 300 Spartan warriors held back rampaging soldiers from the Persian Empire for six days before being slaughtered.

Member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Directors Branch) [2000-2006]

He has named his ten favorite films as Apocalypse Now (1979), Avatar (2009), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Biutiful (2010), Citizen Kane (1941), Dr. Strangelove (1964), My Darling Clementine (1946), The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Raging Bull (1980) and The Wild Bunch (1969).

Took over the bio pic film on Muhammed Ali after Bary Sonnenfeld left,.

Father of director Ami Canaan Mann and production designer Aran Mann.

President of the 'Official Competition' jury at the '69th Venice International Film Festival' in 2012.

He has produced two films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Insider (1999) and The Aviator (2004). He has also directed one Best Picture nominee: The Insider.

Born at 12:45am-CWT.