Michael Mann

American director, screenwriter, and producer of film and television who is best known for his distinctive brand of stylized crime drama. Mann’s unique perspective as a 5'8" (1.72 m) man behind the camera lens, combined with his rapid-paced, fragmented-image techniques, greatly influenced the future of television with the introduction of shows like "Starsky and Hutch" and "Vegas," both from the 1970s.

He received his education at the University of Wisconsin and the London International Film School before beginning his professional career by working on TV commercials in 1965. In 1970, he produced an award-winning short documentary on the 1968 French student riots, "Juanpuri." In 1979, he turned out an award-winning TV movie "The Jericho Mile" and two years later went on to make his big-screen directorial debut with "Thief," 1981. His success continued through the 1980s and 1990s with hits like "Miami Vice" and "Heat," and in 1999, he received much praise for "The Insider."

Mann has been married twice, once in the 1970s to Summer. He married Diane Venora, his current wife, in 1995.