Mike Campbell makes his Directorial debut with the short film “A Pornographer” and is excited to trade-in his acting hat (for the moment) to direct this controversial and alarming, fact-based story of excessive internet porn listings—over 100 a day in Los Angeles alone-- for porn actresses which may, or may not, be fraudulent casting sessions.
The brown hair, blue-eyed director is also an accomplished actor which makes it easier to direct. Among his acting highlights, Campbell notes, “Playing Thomas Jefferson in "1776" when I was arguing with opposing delegates, I had no conscious idea what the lines were, but my body responded correctly, the lines came out, and it was truly in-the-moment as the character, not the actor.”

Campbell (the actor) also immensely enjoyed “Originating the role of a young priest in charge of Catholic Charities in "And I Wish Campanella Wasn't Dead" in Washington D.C. The whole process of creating the role, adjusting dialogue with the playwright, and starring every night in a major city production is the closest thing I’ve done to being a director—from concept through execution, but that was on stage not behind the scenes. Even when I starred in the feature film “Immaculate Springs”, I didn’t have that kind of collaboration with the writer/director. I was a hired gun.”

“In “A Pornographer,” the casting of the actors and the performance level of the acting are ultimately up to me,” realizes Campbell. “Riding that fine line with the each character is challenging at times, but (being a Taurus) I welcome the challenge.”  He continues, “Especially, being an actor myself. I believe my job as an actor, and now a director, is to create an experience for, and a connection to, the audience.”

Campbell truly loves the entertainment industry from the collaboration in telling the story to the exploration during rehearsals and production.  “There is nothing like the lightning bolt excitement when inspiration hits, except when you realize that certain really cool, inspirations won't work for the story or the final product,” declares the burgeoning director.  

While he has not yet reached critical acclaim for his directing or his acting, he is comfortable with “celebrity” and other famous figures.  With his pearl-white smile that any actor in Hollywood would envy, Campbell candidly admits, “I’m related to William Wallace (Mel Gibson played him) in the Academy Award winning film, Braveheart, and Emperor Charlemagne.” 

Campbell is featured in a book called "Four Pioneer Families of Minnesota & Their Puritan & Quaker Heritage: The Hollinshead, Baker, Rice & Kneeland Families, Their Stories, Ancestries, & Descendants."  He is a member of the Hollinshead/Rice line and a descendent of Edward Ten Eyck and James A. Ten Eyck, legends in the sport of rowing.  “My apple didn’t fall far from the family tree,” he smiles. “My mother was a professional bowler and missed the Jr. Olympic team by tenths of a second in skiing. She got her world class ski card the year she married my dad.  I bowled professionally, too.  I hope to get a strike with my first film!”

He is an equally dedicated parent as he is a director and was motivated personally to direct this short film.  He confides, “I have an 8 year-old daughter and 5 year old son. The proliferation of young girls being lured to these fabricated porn sites and internet listings is horrific.  Luckily, my wife and I monitor the internet as best as we humanly can right now; but ten years from now when our daughter will be 18, who knows where new media will take us.”

Campbell was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and grew up in San Diego, California, Ft. Collins, Colorado,  and Greeley, Colorado.  He was graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley with a
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and an acting emphasis.  He currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys stunt driving and the martial arts.