Michael J. Anderson

Acting

Michael J. Anderson

Born 1953-10-31 · Denver, Colorado, USA

Michael John Anderson was born in Denver, Colorado, at 10:30 P.M., on Halloween night. Subject to a genetic anomaly known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta, he grew up in a wheelchair. After graduating high school, he traveled America, singing for tips and living in his car. For six years, he attended the University of Colorado where he majored in numerous subjects ranging from philosophy to microbiology. After college, he began working for Martin Marietta, trouble-shooting the N.A.S.A. computers in the ground-support system of the space shuttle. During this time, he made the documentary "Little Mike," which won a silver medal in the International Film and Television Awards. Soon thereafter, he moved to New York City, where his film and television career began. For many years, Anderson was most well-known among fans of director David Lynch for his work as a backwards-talking dream figure on the cult favorite T.V. series Twin Peaks (1990). Anderson also worked with Lynch for the experimental performance piece Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted (1990) and the T.V.-pilot-turned-feature film Mulholland Drive (2001). Anderson gained further recognition and success in recent years for his work on the H.B.O. series Carnivàle (2003). He retired from acting in 2014. His last role was in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010–13).

Acting credits

Mulholland Drive poster
7.8

Blonde Betty Elms has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia. Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman's identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.

Mulholland Drive

2001

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me poster
7.4

In the questionable town of Deer Meadow, Washington, FBI Agent Desmond inexplicably disappears while hunting for the man who murdered a teen girl. The killer is never apprehended, and, after experiencing dark visions and supernatural encounters, Agent Dale Cooper chillingly predicts that the culprit will claim another life. Meanwhile, in the more cozy town of Twin Peaks, hedonistic beauty Laura Palmer hangs with lowlifes and seems destined for a grisly fate.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

1992

Twin Peaks poster
8.5

An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks. (This standalone version of the series pilot was produced for the European VHS market and has an alternate, closed ending.)

Twin Peaks

1989

Mannequin Two: On the Move poster
5.8

Although Jason works as a department store clerk, he is also a reincarnated prince. Long ago, his beloved Jessie was snatched away from him by an evil wizard who used his powers to transform her into wooden statue. Now Jessie is in Jason's department store as a mannequin. When he encounters her, she awakens from her thousand-year sleep. They quickly revive their romance, but the evil wizard has been reincarnated as well, and he's up to no good.

Mannequin Two: On the Move

1991

Snow White poster
5.9

Snow White's mother dies during childbirth, leaving baby Snow and father John for dead on an icy field, who then receives a visit from one of Satan's representatives, granting him three wishes.

Snow White

2001

Tiptoes poster
3.9

A man is reluctant to tell his fiancee that his parents, uncle and brother are dwarfs.

Tiptoes

2002

In the Soup poster
6.7

An aspiring young filmmaker gets involved with an eccentric gangster for the financing of his first film.

In the Soup

1992

Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces poster
7.2

A feature-length compilation of deleted and alternate takes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, assembled by David Lynch to continue the story of the final week of Laura Palmer’s life.

Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces

2014

Warriors of Virtue poster
4.8

A young boy is whisked away to the mythical land of Tao where he becomes the center of a conflict between an evil lord and a group of animal warriors.

Warriors of Virtue

1997

Screwed poster
6.0

A raw, rough-hewn look at the life of Screw publisher Al Goldstein.

Screwed

1997

No artwork available
NR

A look behind the story and production of the HBO dramatic series Carnivàle.

Making 'Carnivàle': The Show Behind the Show

2003

Caged Hearts poster
3.3

Kate and Sharon kill a man in self defense and are framed by the justice system. They are put in prison and forced into prostitution. With the help of their defense attorney, they devise a plan to bust out of prison and hopefully expose the group of corrupt politicians, judges, lawyers, etc. who put them there in the first place.

Caged Hearts

1995

No artwork available
4.0

"An Introduction to David Lynch" is a featurette originally released in the 2001 DVD release, Twin Peaks: The First Season. It features interviews with Catherine E. Coulson, Charles Ramirez-Borg, Lesli Linka Glatter, Miguel Ferrer, Michael J. Anderson, Kyle MacLachlan, Duwayne Dunham, Sheryl Lee, Peggy Lipton, and Richard Beymer, each discussing the filmmaking processes and methods of Twin Peaks co-creator David Lynch.

An Introduction to David Lynch

2001

Reflections on the Phenomenon of Twin Peaks poster
6.0

"Reflections on the Phenomenon of Twin Peaks" is a featurette originally released on the 2001 DVD release of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. It features various cast and crew reflecting on Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.

Reflections on the Phenomenon of Twin Peaks

2001

Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted poster
6.0

After her boyfriend ends their relationship, the dreamself of a heartbroken woman floats through the air over an industrial wasteland singing ballads of love.

Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted

1990

Club Vampire poster
2.2

Enter the club where your wildest desire and most frightening dreams come true. The price of admission is your soul.

Club Vampire

1998

No artwork available
NR

"Postcards From The Cast" is a featurette originally released in the 2001 DVD release, Twin Peaks: The First Season. It was later re-released in the Blu-ray sets, Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery and Twin Peaks: From Z to A. It features interview snippets of various subjects with cast members of Twin Peaks.

Postcards From The Cast

2001

The Great Land of Small poster
6.8

While visiting their grandparents in the Québec countryside, two children enter a fantasy kingdom and are confronted by evil forces.

The Great Land of Small

1987

The Phantom Eye poster
8.0

Two film students must find a movie in the AMC vault. They have until midnight. If they survive and find the film they can leave the vault. If not then they will die and become part of the movie forever. So where is "The Phantom Eye?"

The Phantom Eye

1999

Ava's Magical Adventure poster
6.8

10-year-old Eddie runs away from home with her best friend Ava, a two-ton circus elephant. They're pursued by everyone from the police to the circus' owner

Ava's Magical Adventure

1998

Fool's Fire poster
5.3

A crippled dwarf is forced to become jester to a tyrannical king, but when the king abuses a beautiful dwarf with whom the jester is in love the jester plots a terrible revenge.

Fool's Fire

1992

Suffering Bastards poster
5.5

Two brothers try to get back the nightclub that was swindled from their mother.

Suffering Bastards

1989

First You Live Then You Die poster
5.0

This is an ultra-rare film that was never officially distributed and is hardly even mentioned anywhere on the internet, even though it features some legendary actors.

First You Live Then You Die

1994

No artwork available
NR

"Learning to Speak in the Red Room" is a featurette originally released in the 2001 DVD release, Twin Peaks: The First Season. It features Michael J. Anderson presenting his method of learning to speak backward, as he and other actors did in the Red Room scenes.

Learning to Speak in the Red Room

2001