Michael Budd

Michael Hamish Budd (born 2 July 1974) is an Australian film actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Esmael, alongside Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) and Sigourney Weaver in The Cold Light of Day.[1] The film also starred Bruce Willis.

Michael Budd
Michael Budd arrives at red carpert event in Sydney
Born (1974-07-02) 2 July 1974
Paddington, Sydney, Australia
OccupationFilm director, writer, actor, rapper
Years active1995–present
Children
  • Harris Alister Budd (2014)
  • Lily Patricia Budd (2017)

Budd is the first Australian born of African American descent to direct and produce a feature film in Australia.[2]

In 2012/13 he directed and produced Love of My Life a horror thriller which he also stars in alongside Peter O'Brien and Diarmid Heidenreich.[3] On 9 November it premiered in America at the 2013 second annual Mt. Hood Independent Film Festival in the state of Oregon U.S.A..[4] The film went on to win Best Horror/Thriller at the festival.[5] The film was released 29 April 2014 Video on Demand release with Gravitas Ventures.[6]

His second feature, Life of the Party, starring Christopher Kirby completed filming December 2016.[7] It premiered on the 14th of September 2018 at the Arena Cinelounge Sunset Los Angeles in the U.S. state of California.[8] The screenplay that was co-written by Budd was picked up by the Oscars Foundation to display in the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for the permanent Core Collection.

Budd's third feature film, a science fiction thriller titled Enter Sanctum starring ACCTA award-winner Lara Robinson, is in post Production.[9]

In 2020 michael started filming his 4th feature film, Ruby's Choice an Australian drama touching on the important subject matter of dementia, For the Glenn Family Foundation and the Sir Owen Glenn legacy, The film stars Jane SeymourOBE and Jacqueline McKenzie.With 50% of all the profits going back to dementia, [10] - The production was halted due to covid 19. The production then moved from Queensland to NSW and completed filming under strict covid guidelines in August 2020 in Windsor. Budd described shooting a feature film in the middle of a pandemic the most challenging of any of his past feature films. [11] [12] [13]

Personal

Budd was born in Paddington, Sydney, New South Wales. His mother is an Australian of French descent, his father is African-American, and he has a sister. Michael's cousin is Shawn Budd, Australian professional Snooker player and 4 times Australian Open Snooker Champion.[14] On 30 January 2014, Michael had his first child, a son named Harris Alister Budd, with longtime partner and fashion designer, Allison Berger.[15]

Career

In 1995, Michael Budd was a resident supporting artist in Australian TV program Heartbreak High. Budd's initial break in Hollywood came in 2001 when the Wachowskis selected him as a body double and stand in for Laurence Fishburne in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. After 200 shoot days the directors cast him in his own role as Zion Controller.[16] In 2008 Budd starred a in a music video for roll deep called Moving in Circles which featured Goldie. Budd studied Acting and Staging in London where he was mentored under a second generation Meisner tutor (Scott Williams)[17] and the teachings of William Ball. After nearly three years with the conservatory, he graduated from the Meisner technique with the Impulse Company in 2010 he then went on to play on stage in works of Chekhov and Shakespeare and Mamet plays, in particular playing Othello in a shortened version of Othello in the Tristan Bate Theatre in London's West End.

In 2011 Mabrouk El Mechri cast Budd as Esmael in The Cold Light of Day, set and shot completely in Spain. He played a Mossad agent, with dialogue in both Hebrew language and English.

References
  1. Gant, Charles (8 April 2012). "The Cold Light of Day". Variety Reviews. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  2. https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/p/michael-budd/39164?stxt=enter%20sanctum#ccTall
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. http://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/2013/oct/30/mt-hood-film-festival-returns-nov-8-10/
  5. http://www.columbiaarts.org/more-arts/2013/11/Film%20Festival/FilmFestivalSchedule2013.html//
  6. https://www.imdb.com/company/co0220024/?ref_=fn_al_co_1//
  7. Soldani, Bianca (2 May 2012). "Budding Aussie talent making a splash in Hollywood". Australian Times. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  8. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-list-0909-movie-openings-20180909-story.html#
  9. https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/enter-sanctum-2017/36185?stxt=enter%20sanctum
  10. https://www.fpmagazine.com.au/rubys-choice-making-a-difference-through-film-375943/
  11. https://www.filmink.com.au/public-notice/michael-budds-4th-feature-attaches-jane-seymour-obe-star-dementia-film-rubys-choice
  12. https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/jane-seymour-shoots-a-new-australian-film-in-a-covid-19-bubble-20200803-p55hyd.html
  13. https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6178286342001
  14. Barrie Jones (8 April 2012). "Australian Billiards & Snooker Council". Australian Billiards & Snooker Councils. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  15. Zamiatin, Lara (29 May 2008). "Big Plans Little Details" (PDF). Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  16. "Michael Budd". NY Times. 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  17. Dave Matthews (4 October 2009). "The Meisner Technique (or Sandy who?)". Drama Student. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
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