Mike Binder began his career as a stand-up comedian in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. This path eventually led to his own HBO One Night Stand special, HBO’s Detroit Comedy Jam, and The Eleventh Anniversary of the Comedy Store special, with Robin Williams, Richard Pryor and Jim Carrey.

His years of stand-up also yielded a secondary benefit: developing a point of view as a writer. His first screenplay, Coupe De Ville, caught the attention of director Joe Roth, who helmed the film for Universal, which soon led to another feature, Crossing the Bridge, marking Binder’s directorial debut. From there, he wrote and directed the poignant, Indian Summer, for Touchstone Pictures.

With HBO’s critically acclaimed hit series, The Mind of the Married Man, Binder created a true water cooler show that pushed buttons, provoked thought, and most importantly, made people laugh.

Binder wrote, directed, and starred in the feature, The Search for John Gissing, with Alan Rickman and Janeane Garofalo, which went on to win the “Critics’ Award” at the 2002 Sarasota Film Festival. He also wrote, directed, and starred in both Londinium, with Stephen Fry and Colin Firth, and The Sex Monster, for which Binder received both the “Best Film” and “Best Actor” nods from the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. In addition, Binder co-starred in The Contender, with Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges and Gary Oldman, and Steven Spielberg’s futuristic thriller, Minority Report, opposite Tom Cruise.

The Upside of Anger, written and directed by Binder, premiered in 2005 at the Sundance Film Festival. With an ensemble cast, including Joan Allen, Kevin Costner, Alicia Witt, Erika Christensen, Keri Russell and Evan Rachel Wood, it was widely received to rave reviews, and released by both New Line Cinema and Media 8 Entertainment.

Man About Town, an ensemble piece featuring Ben Affleck and Rebecca Romijn, is a dramatic comedy set in the world of Hollywood super-agents. It is now available on DVD through Lions Gate Pictures.

His newest project, Reign Over Me, stars Adam Sandler. Playing a man having lost his family in the September 11th attack on New York City, he runs into his old college roommate, played by Don Cheadle. Rekindling the friendship appears to be the one thing able to help the man recover from his grief. Reign Over Me was released this past March by Columbia Pictures.