Michael Bay, an American director and producer, started his career directing music videos and commercials. This included a commercial for the American Red Cross in 1992 which received a Clio Award, and music videos for Donny Osmond, Styx and Meat Loaf. Jerry Bruckheimer recognizing his achievements on commercials offered the chance to direct one of his productions as Bay's feature film debut. Bay did so with Bruckheimer's action comedy Bad Boys starring Will Smith, and Martin Lawrence. In the same year he also received a Directors Guild of America Award for his work on commercials. Bay followed this with action film The Rock starring Sean Connery, and Nicolas Cage. The film was a commercial success grossing over $335 million at the worldwide box office. In 1998, he directed, and produced the science fiction disaster film Armageddon which was the highest-grossing film of the year, and Bay received the Saturn Award for Best Director. After the success of Armageddon he also became the youngest director to gross $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Three years later he directed and produced the war film Pearl Harbor (2001) which was negatively received by critics but grossed over $449 million at the box office. Later in the same year, Bay founded his own production company Platinum Dunes with Brad Fuller, and Andrew Form. In 2003, Bay directed the action comedy sequel Bad Boys II which saw Smith and Lawrence reprise their roles. Two years later he directed science fiction action film The Island (2005), and produced the horror remake The Amityville Horror (2005).
In 2007, Bay directed, and produced the first film in the live-action Transformers film series based on the toy line of the same name. It was a commercial success grossing over $709 million at the box office. He followed this by directing its sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009). The film drew negative reception from critics but grossed over $836 million at the box office. The third installment in the series Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) became the first of his films to gross over $1 billion at the box office. Two years later Bay directed and produced crime comedy Pain & Gain (2013). From 2014 to 2017, he executive produced the television series Black Sails for Starz. In 2014, he directed, and produced a fourth Transformer film, Transformers: Age of Extinction, which grossed over $1 billion at the box office, and was the highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office that year. Three years later, he directed the fifth entry in the Transformers film series, Transformers: The Last Knight which received generally negative reviews from critics and was the lowest-grossing live-action film worldwide in the franchise's history until Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Film
Director Year Title Credited as DirectorProducer1995Bad Boys 1996The Rock1998Armageddon2001Pearl Harbor2003Bad Boys II2005The Island2007Transformers2009Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen2011Transformers: Dark of the Moon2013Pain & Gain2014Transformers: Age of Extinction201613 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi2017Transformers: The Last Knight 20196 Underground 2022Ambulance 2025We Are Storror
Producer YearTitle Director2003The Texas Chainsaw MassacreMarcus Nispel2005The Amityville HorrorAndrew Douglas2006The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The BeginningJonathan Liebesman2007The HitcherDave Meyers2009The UnbornDavid S. GoyerFriday the 13thMarcus NispelHorsemenJonas Åkerlund2010A Nightmare on Elm StreetSamuel Bayer2011I Am Number FourD. J. Caruso2013The PurgeJames DeMonaco2014The Purge: AnarchyTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesJonathan LiebesmanOuijaStiles White2015Project AlmanacDean Israelite2016Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the ShadowsDave GreenJames DeMonacoOuija: Origin of EvilMike Flanagan2018A Quiet PlaceJohn KrasinskiThe First PurgeGerard McMurrayBumblebeeTravis Knight2020 SongbirdAdam Mason 2021A Quiet Place Part IIJohn KrasinskiThe Forever PurgeEverardo Gout2023 Transformers: Rise of the BeastsSteven Caple Jr. 2024 A Quiet Place: Day OneMichael Sarnoski Transformers OneJosh Cooley Apartment 7ANatalie Erika James2025DropChristopher Landon2027 A Quiet Place Part III John KrasinskiTBA Sponsor James Ponsoldt
Actor YearTitle Role1998Armageddon NASA extra1999Mystery MenFrat Boy2000Coyote UglyPhotographer2001Double DownExtra2003Bad Boys IICrappy Car Driver2007TransformersHuman flicked by Megatron2014Transformers: Age of ExtinctionSemi-truck passenger2020Bad Boys for LifeWedding MC2024Bad Boys: Ride or DiePorsche Driver
Other YearTitle Role 2020 Songbird Director of action sequences
Television Executive producer YearTitleNetworkNotes 2014–2017Black SailsStarz2014–2018The Last ShipTNT2016Billion Dollar WreckHistory2018–2023Jack RyanAmazon Video2018–2019The PurgeUSA Network2024Born Evil: The Serial Killer and the SaviorInvestigation DiscoveryAlso directed all 5 episodes
Actor YearTitleRoleNetwork Notes 1986 Miami Vice Goon #3 NBC Episode "Free Verse" Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo SLED agent CBS Television film 2013 The NeighborsHimself ABC Episode "Mother Clubbers" 2022 Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons Hulu Episode "Part Two: The Secret Friend";Documentary series
Music videos Year Title Artist 1989"Angelia"Richard Marx"Call It Love"Poco"I'll Be Holding On"Gregg Allman"Nothin' to Hide"Poco"Sacred Emotion"Donny Osmond"Whatcha Gonna Do"Tyler Collins1990"Bird on a Wire" The Neville Brothers"Dream On"Britny Fox"Heartbeat"Seduction"Hearts in Trouble"Chicago"House of Pain"Faster Pussycat"Keep on Lovin' Me Baby"Colin James"Love Is the Ritual"Styx"My Love Is a Fire"Donny Osmond"Second Chance"Tyler Collins"Show Me the Way"Styx"Sittin' in the Lap of Luxury"Louie Louie"Up All Night"Slaughter1991"Call It Rock N' Roll"Great White"Can't Get Enuff"Winger"Chasin' the Wind"Chicago"Congo Square"Great White"I Love You"Vanilla Ice"I Touch Myself"Divinyls"Nutbush City Limits (The 90s Version)"Tina Turner"Remember My Name"House of Lords"Sure Lookin'"Donny Osmond"That's the Way Love Goes"Young MC1992"Do It to Me"Lionel Richie"Love Thing"Tina Turner"You Won't See Me Cry"Wilson Phillips1993"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"Meat Loaf1994"Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are""Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"1995"Shy Guy"Diana King1997"Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)"Aerosmith2001"There You'll Be"Faith Hill
Theme park attractions YearTitleRole 2011Transformers: The Ride – 3DCreative consultant
See also Michael Bay's unrealized projects
References
External links