Michael McGreevey
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Michael McGreevey began his professional career at the age of seven,
appearing in
The Girl Most Likely (1957)
with Jane Powell, the first of 18
films he would act in over the next 20 years. A successful child actor,
Michael also appeared in over 100 television shows, including stints as
a series regular on
Riverboat (1959)
(Burt Reynolds' first show) and
guest-star appearances on such acclaimed series as
Naked City (1958),
Route 66 (1960) and three two-part
specials for The Magical World of Disney (1954). At
18 years of age he enrolled in classes at UCLA while continuing his
professional acting career, starring opposite
Kirk Douglas,
Robert Mitchum and
Sally Field in
The Way West (1967) (Field's first
film), with David Niven in
The Impossible Years (1968)
and alongside Richard Widmark and
Lena Horne in
Death of a Gunfighter (1969),
as well as guest-starring in numerous television shows
(Mod Squad (1968),
Love, American Style (1969))
and made-for-TV movies (including
If Tomorrow Comes (1971)
with Patty Duke).
Graduating from UCLA Film School with honors, he continued to work as
an actor, but set his sights on one day moving behind the camera and
trying his hand at writing, directing, and producing. While co-starring
opposite Kurt Russell in a series
of very successful movies for Disney
(The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969),
Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972),
Snowball Express (1972) and
The Strongest Man in the World (1975))
and making guest-star appearances on acclaimed television series like
The Waltons (1972), Michael began
writing. He was lucky enough to get his first professional writing
assignment collaborating with his father,
John McGreevey (Emmy Award; WGA Laurel
Award) developing a three-hour movie for television about the Kennedy
assassination entitled
Ruby and Oswald (1978).
A truly monumental television event, "Ruby and Oswald" was a ratings
winner as well as a critical success. Michael continued writing on his
own, branching out into series television, working on such shows as
"The Waltons" with creator
Earl Hamner Jr.,
Palmerstown, U.S.A. (1980)
with Alex Haley and
Norman Lear,
Quincy M.E. (1976) and many
others. Michael was nominated for an Emmy award for his teleplay of the
ABC Afterschool Special,
The Celebrity and the Arcade Kid (1983).
What started out as a freelance assignment writing one episode of
Fame (1982), the NBC series based on the
popular film, turned into three seasons (72 episodes) as writer, story
editor and eventually producer. Having written more episodes than
anyone else, Michael was the obvious choice to write the last "Fame"
show, effectively closing the door on the School of the Arts and
bringing the award-winning series to an end. After "Fame", Michael
decided he needed a break from the grind of series television, and
returned to writing long-form television, developing movies and
mini-series for all the networks, including NBC's highest rated movie
of the '194 season,
Bonanza: The Return (1993).
Michael returned to series television as the Supervising Producer of
High Tide (1994) for the '95-'96
season and then assumed the same duties on the syndicated series,
Tarzan: The Epic Adventures (1996),
completing 22 episodes for the '96-'97 season. He realized another
life-long dream by directing one of the "Tarzan" episodes. Having been
bitten by the directing bug, Michael immediately took on another
assignment, helming three episodes of the Fox Network's children
series,
Mowgli: The New Adventures of the Jungle Book (1998).
The producers (Alliance, Kushner-Locke) were so pleased with his work
on this demanding action/adventure series that they asked him to direct
an independent feature based on the Kipling books,
The Jungle Book: Search for the Lost Treasure (1998),
starring Gary Collins and
Michael Beck. Immediately after
completing the film, McGreevey returned to television,
executive-producing (as well as writing and directing) 26 one-hour
episodes of the syndicated series
Born Free (1998) (a continuation of
the very popular movie based on
Joy Adamson's extraordinary work with the
lioness, Elsa, in Africa). Since finishing the series, Michael has
co-written an action\thriller television movie and series pilot,
"Endangered," and co-wrote the script for a big-budget adaptation of
the L. Frank Baum classic, "The Life and
Adventures of Santa Claus." He is presently developing an original
screenplay, "13 Weeks," a romantic comedy about working in series
television, and shooting three documentaries entitled "Aging Without
Symptoms," "Welcome to Eden," and "The Face of America."
appearing in
The Girl Most Likely (1957)
with Jane Powell, the first of 18
films he would act in over the next 20 years. A successful child actor,
Michael also appeared in over 100 television shows, including stints as
a series regular on
Riverboat (1959)
(Burt Reynolds' first show) and
guest-star appearances on such acclaimed series as
Naked City (1958),
Route 66 (1960) and three two-part
specials for The Magical World of Disney (1954). At
18 years of age he enrolled in classes at UCLA while continuing his
professional acting career, starring opposite
Kirk Douglas,
Robert Mitchum and
Sally Field in
The Way West (1967) (Field's first
film), with David Niven in
The Impossible Years (1968)
and alongside Richard Widmark and
Lena Horne in
Death of a Gunfighter (1969),
as well as guest-starring in numerous television shows
(Mod Squad (1968),
Love, American Style (1969))
and made-for-TV movies (including
If Tomorrow Comes (1971)
with Patty Duke).
Graduating from UCLA Film School with honors, he continued to work as
an actor, but set his sights on one day moving behind the camera and
trying his hand at writing, directing, and producing. While co-starring
opposite Kurt Russell in a series
of very successful movies for Disney
(The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969),
Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972),
Snowball Express (1972) and
The Strongest Man in the World (1975))
and making guest-star appearances on acclaimed television series like
The Waltons (1972), Michael began
writing. He was lucky enough to get his first professional writing
assignment collaborating with his father,
John McGreevey (Emmy Award; WGA Laurel
Award) developing a three-hour movie for television about the Kennedy
assassination entitled
Ruby and Oswald (1978).
A truly monumental television event, "Ruby and Oswald" was a ratings
winner as well as a critical success. Michael continued writing on his
own, branching out into series television, working on such shows as
"The Waltons" with creator
Earl Hamner Jr.,
Palmerstown, U.S.A. (1980)
with Alex Haley and
Norman Lear,
Quincy M.E. (1976) and many
others. Michael was nominated for an Emmy award for his teleplay of the
ABC Afterschool Special,
The Celebrity and the Arcade Kid (1983).
What started out as a freelance assignment writing one episode of
Fame (1982), the NBC series based on the
popular film, turned into three seasons (72 episodes) as writer, story
editor and eventually producer. Having written more episodes than
anyone else, Michael was the obvious choice to write the last "Fame"
show, effectively closing the door on the School of the Arts and
bringing the award-winning series to an end. After "Fame", Michael
decided he needed a break from the grind of series television, and
returned to writing long-form television, developing movies and
mini-series for all the networks, including NBC's highest rated movie
of the '194 season,
Bonanza: The Return (1993).
Michael returned to series television as the Supervising Producer of
High Tide (1994) for the '95-'96
season and then assumed the same duties on the syndicated series,
Tarzan: The Epic Adventures (1996),
completing 22 episodes for the '96-'97 season. He realized another
life-long dream by directing one of the "Tarzan" episodes. Having been
bitten by the directing bug, Michael immediately took on another
assignment, helming three episodes of the Fox Network's children
series,
Mowgli: The New Adventures of the Jungle Book (1998).
The producers (Alliance, Kushner-Locke) were so pleased with his work
on this demanding action/adventure series that they asked him to direct
an independent feature based on the Kipling books,
The Jungle Book: Search for the Lost Treasure (1998),
starring Gary Collins and
Michael Beck. Immediately after
completing the film, McGreevey returned to television,
executive-producing (as well as writing and directing) 26 one-hour
episodes of the syndicated series
Born Free (1998) (a continuation of
the very popular movie based on
Joy Adamson's extraordinary work with the
lioness, Elsa, in Africa). Since finishing the series, Michael has
co-written an action\thriller television movie and series pilot,
"Endangered," and co-wrote the script for a big-budget adaptation of
the L. Frank Baum classic, "The Life and
Adventures of Santa Claus." He is presently developing an original
screenplay, "13 Weeks," a romantic comedy about working in series
television, and shooting three documentaries entitled "Aging Without
Symptoms," "Welcome to Eden," and "The Face of America."