Michael Moore

Birthday: 23 April 1954, Flint, Michigan, USA

Birth Name: Michael Francis Moore

Height: 182 cm

Michael Francis Moore was born in Flint, Michigan on April 23, 1954, and was raised in its Davison suburb. He is the son of Helen Veronica (Wall), a secretary, and Francis Richard Moore, who worked on an auto assembly line. He has Irish, as well as English and Scottish, ancestry.Moore studied journalism at the University of Michigan-Flint, and also pursued other hobbies such as gun shooting, for which he even won a competition. Michael began his journalistic career writing for the school newspaper "The Michigan Times," and after dropping out of college briefly worked as editor for "Mother Jones."He then turned to filmmaking, and to earn the money for the budget of his first film Roger & Me (1989) he ran neighborhood bingo games. The success of this film launched his career as one of America's best-known and most controversial documentarians. He has produced a string of documentary films and TV series predominantly about the same subject: attacks on corrupt politicians and greedy business corporations. He landed his first big hit with Bowling for Columbine (2002) about the bad points of the right to bear arms in America, which earned him an Oscar and a big reputation. He then shook the world with his even bigger hit Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), making fun of President George W. Bush. This is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. Michael is known for having the guts to give his opinion in public, which not many people are courageous enough to do, and for that is respected by many. Show less «

Upon winning his Academy Award for Bowling for Columbine (2002): "On behalf of our producers, Kathle...Show more »

Upon winning his Academy Award for Bowling for Columbine (2002): "On behalf of our producers, Kathleen Glynn and Michael Donovan from Canada, I'd like to thank the Academy for this. I have invited my fellow documentary nominees on the stage with us, and we would like to say that they're here in solidarity with me because we like non-fiction. We like non-fiction and we live in fictitious times. We live in the time where we have fictitious election results that elect a fictitious president. We live in a time where we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons. Whether it's the fiction of duct tape or fiction of orange alerts, we are against this war, Mr. Bush. Shame on you, Mr. Bush, shame on you. [Interrupted by mingled boos and cheering] And any time you got the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, your time is up. Thank you very much." Show less «

On Bowling for Columbine (2002) in 2013: I never thought I would have to, a decade later, stand here...Show more »

On Bowling for Columbine (2002) in 2013: I never thought I would have to, a decade later, stand here and say that that film of mine did no good. That, to me, is personally heartbreaking. Every word in it stands true to this day, which is the saddest thing. Show less «

I am not sure what I am going to do for my next film, but I certainly believe that I have no right t...Show more »

I am not sure what I am going to do for my next film, but I certainly believe that I have no right to tell another couple whether they can or cannot be married. That is simply not allowed in my ethical book of standards. I am a very spiritual person - I don't talk about it publicly that much, but I went to the seminary when I was in high school; I read the New Testament. And let me tell you something: There is nowhere in the four Gospels where Jesus uses the word homosexual, nor the word abortion. The right wing has appropriated this guy. It makes you think, what someone can do in your name a thousand years from now. And they have used him to attack gays and lesbians, when he never said a single word against people who are homosexual. Anyone who professes to be a Christian and does that is certainly not following the teachings of Jesus Christ. Show less «

I guess I care because I'm a citizen of this country and I love this country and I want to see it do...Show more »

I guess I care because I'm a citizen of this country and I love this country and I want to see it do better. And I think we can do a lot better than what's going on right now. Show less «

I really didn't realize that librarians were, you know, such a dangerous group. They are subversive....Show more »

I really didn't realize that librarians were, you know, such a dangerous group. They are subversive. You think they are just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the revolution, man. I wouldn't mess with them. You know they've had their budgets cut. And libraries are just the ass end of everything, right? Show less «

When asked by David Letterman why Disney didn't want to release his film Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004): The...Show more »

When asked by David Letterman why Disney didn't want to release his film Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004): They watched it. Show less «

[on the lack of diversity in Hollywood and the Academy] A fish rots from the head down and the head ...Show more »

[on the lack of diversity in Hollywood and the Academy] A fish rots from the head down and the head is over there [in Hollywood] in this industry. The problem has to get fixed in the studio system, which has been a white-dominated, male-dominated industry forever. When you're working in New York, you have a day-to-day existence with African-Americans in the industry here. But I can fly to L.A. for two or three days of meetings and literally never encounter an African-American in any position of power. I can very easily leave LAX, go to a West Hollywood hotel, have a meeting in Burbank, another meeting in Century City and another in Santa Monica, go back to LAX and never encounter an African-Americans that isn't in a service position. I love L.A., don't get me wrong, but the problem has to get fixed there. [2016] Show less «

Americans, when they see Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), will see things they have never seen before.

I have never met a stupid black person. They are all pretty smart, you know.

In response to bootleg copies of the movie popping up: "Is it wrong for someone who's bought a film ...Show more »

In response to bootleg copies of the movie popping up: "Is it wrong for someone who's bought a film on DVD to let a friend watch it for free? Of course it's not. It never has been and never will be. I think information, art and ideas should be shared. I don't agree with the copyright laws, and I don't have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people as long as they're not trying to make a profit off my labour. I would oppose that. I do well enough already, and I made this film because I want the world to change. The more people who see it, the better, so I'm happy this is happening." Show less «

On being an altar boy, carrying the incense censer: This had all my favorite activities rolled into ...Show more »

On being an altar boy, carrying the incense censer: This had all my favorite activities rolled into one: fire, smoke and emitting a strange odor. Show less «

I think [homophobia is] a very ripe subject for someone like me to make a movie about. Simply becaus...Show more »

I think [homophobia is] a very ripe subject for someone like me to make a movie about. Simply because we are not there yet and it remains one of the last open wounds on our soul that we are not willing to fix yet... If you believe in equality, if you believe in standing up for the rights of all, especially for people most affected by bigotry and discrimination, then you have no choice but to be present and accounted for when it comes to standing up for gays and lesbians in our society. Show less «

[on Donald J. Trump] The man is, first of all, a malignant narcissist, and he's only about himself, ...Show more »

[on Donald J. Trump] The man is, first of all, a malignant narcissist, and he's only about himself, folks. Show less «

I have, when I'm on Bill's [Maher] show, told him that there are far more examples historically of t...Show more »

I have, when I'm on Bill's [Maher] show, told him that there are far more examples historically of the death and destruction that Christians have brought to planet. From the Crusades to the Inquisition to the wiping out of Native Americans to the Holocaust. Show less «

I remember going back to my hotel room that night, where they had all the pundits on post-Oscar and ...Show more »

I remember going back to my hotel room that night, where they had all the pundits on post-Oscar and they were all like, 'That's the end of Michael Moore. That's the last we'll see of him.' By the end of the night, I believed it. I thought, 'No one is going to want to work with me in this town. I just ruined their big party.' We're all supposed to ignore that the war is going on and just have a party. Well, now here we three years later and it's not just me. It's a few other people saying that we weren't told the truth. - On The 75th Annual Academy Awards (2003) Show less «

I like America to some extent. Take the Japanese for instance. They are complicated and tend to be r...Show more »

I like America to some extent. Take the Japanese for instance. They are complicated and tend to be reserved in expressing themselves. Sometimes, it is difficult for me to understand them. Americans are simple and clear. They are charming people. You will understand how good an individual American is. What I am not satisfied with America is that the nation cannot control the government and economy. Only a handful of people have the power to control the country. Show less «

People want to see documentaries, but there's a disconnect between that desire and the exhibitors ou...Show more »

People want to see documentaries, but there's a disconnect between that desire and the exhibitors out there. We're not asking for charity. This could be on the 15th screen of a multiplex that would otherwise have the sixth showing of the new Harry Potter movie. Some of these films make $200 or $300 per screen. Show less «

The first rule of documentaries is: Don't make a documentary - make a movie! You've chose this art f...Show more »

The first rule of documentaries is: Don't make a documentary - make a movie! You've chose this art form - the cinema, this incredible, wonderful art form - to tell your story. You didn't have to do that. If you want to make a political speech, you can join a party - you can hold a rally. If you want to give a sermon, you can go to the seminary, you can be a preacher. If you want to give a lecture, you can be a teacher. But you've not chosen any of those professions. You have chosen to be filmmakers and to use the form of Cinema. So make a movie! Show less «

When I'm shooting a movie, I'm always in an invisible theater seat. I respect the fact that people h...Show more »

When I'm shooting a movie, I'm always in an invisible theater seat. I respect the fact that people have worked hard all week and want to go to the movies on the weekend and be entertained. But the struggle for me does not come between politics and entertainment, because I know that if I succeed in making an entertaining and funny or sad film, the things I want to say politically will come through very strong. If there ever is a struggle, making a good movie will always supersede the need to be noble. Show less «

On The Passion of the Christ (2004): I thought it was a powerful piece of filmmaking. I'm a practici...Show more »

On The Passion of the Christ (2004): I thought it was a powerful piece of filmmaking. I'm a practicing Catholic, and you know I think Mel and I may be from different wings of the Catholic Church. My film might have been called The Compassion of the Christ. Show less «

We have got to get more documentaries in the theaters. Distribution in this country sucks.

Thousands of Republicans turned to me chanting "Four more years.' I thought, 'That's strange, Republ...Show more »

Thousands of Republicans turned to me chanting "Four more years.' I thought, 'That's strange, Republicans are usually good at math, but they're off by a few dozen months. Bush only has two months left.' So I held up two fingers to correct their miscalculation. But that just drove them into more of a frenzy. Show less «

We've spent the better part of the year shooting our next movie, Sicko (2007). As we've done with ou...Show more »

We've spent the better part of the year shooting our next movie, Sicko (2007). As we've done with our other films, we don't discuss them while we are making them. If people ask, we tell them 'Sicko' is a comedy about the 45 million people with no health care in the richest country on Earth. Show less «

Laughter is a way, first of all, to alleviate the pain of what you know to be the truth. And if you'...Show more »

Laughter is a way, first of all, to alleviate the pain of what you know to be the truth. And if you're trying to be truth-tellers as filmmakers, then for God's sake, what is wrong with giving the audience a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down? It's hard enough for people to have to think about these issues and grapple with them, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with letting them laugh, because laughter is cathartic. Show less «

[on 'Where to Invade Next'] This film shouldn't make you want to leave. It should make you want to s...Show more »

[on 'Where to Invade Next'] This film shouldn't make you want to leave. It should make you want to stay and make this country work. Show less «

I don't want people leaving the theatre depressed after my movies. I want them angry. Depressed is a...Show more »

I don't want people leaving the theatre depressed after my movies. I want them angry. Depressed is a passive emotion. Anger is active. Anger will mean that maybe five percent, ten percent of that audience will get up and say' 'I gotta do something. I'm going to tell others about this' ..Or, in the case of Quentin Tarantino, who was the president of the jury at Cannes when the jury gave 'Fahrenheit 9/11' the Palme d'Or , said to me afterwards, 'I've got to tell you what your film really did for me. I've never voted in my life, in fact Ive never even registered to vote, but the first thing I'm going to do when I get back to L.A. is register to vote'. Show less «

Having been bumped from Larry King last night for Paris Hilton, I am beginning to take things person...Show more »

Having been bumped from Larry King last night for Paris Hilton, I am beginning to take things personally. The priorities in this country are seriously askew. Show less «

It's not envy, it's war, it's a class war that's been perpetrated by the rich on to everyone else. T...Show more »

It's not envy, it's war, it's a class war that's been perpetrated by the rich on to everyone else. The class war is one they started. The mistake they made to deal with the racial part of this is, um, their boots have been on the necks of people of color since we began. This is a nation founded on genocide and built on the backs of slaves, so alright, we started with a racial problem. Show less «

[on the Oscar 2016 boycott] I absolutely support what they are doing, and I will be happy to join th...Show more »

[on the Oscar 2016 boycott] I absolutely support what they are doing, and I will be happy to join them. I thought about this all day, and I don't plan to go to the show, I don't plan to watch it and I don't plan to go to an Oscar party. (...) And I say that as a proud member of the Academy, as someone who still sits on the executive board [of the Documentary Branch], as someone who knows full well that Cheryl [AMPAS president Cheryl Boone Isaacs] and Dawn [CEO Dawn Hudson] are doing their best to fix the situation. [2016] Show less «

The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not "insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Ene...Show more »

The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not "insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Enemy". They are the Revolution, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win. Show less «

About Sicko (2007): I made Bowling for Columbine (2002) in the hope the school shootings would stop ...Show more »

About Sicko (2007): I made Bowling for Columbine (2002) in the hope the school shootings would stop and that we would address the issue of how easy it is to get a gun in the United States and, tragically, those school shootings continue. I made Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) and I said that we'd been led to a war under false pretense. I said it on the Oscar stage and I was booed off. It's my profound hope that people will listen this time. Show less «

About his follow-up film to Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) and the re-election of President George W. Bush, ...Show more »

About his follow-up film to Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) and the re-election of President George W. Bush, where Bush won 51% of the popular vote: We want to get cameras rolling now and have it ready in two, three years. We want to document it. Fifty-one per cent of the American people lacked information (in this election), and we want to educate and enlighten them. They weren't told the truth. We're communicators and it's up to us to start doing it now. The official mourning period is over today, and there is a silver lining: George W. Bush is prohibited by law from running (for presidency) again. Show less «

I don't compromise my values and I don't compromise my work. That's why I've been kicked from one ne...Show more »

I don't compromise my values and I don't compromise my work. That's why I've been kicked from one network to the next: I won't give in. Show less «

There is no terrorist threat!

Horatio Alger must die! We're addicted to this happy myth...that anyone can make it in America, and ...Show more »

Horatio Alger must die! We're addicted to this happy myth...that anyone can make it in America, and make it big...Listen friends, you have to face the truth: You are never going to be rich...The system is rigged in favor of the few, and your name is not among them, not now and not ever. Show less «

Michael Moore

Michael Moore's FILMOGRAPHY

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