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Michael Waxman

Producer · Brooklyn, New York, USA

Michael Waxman is American director and producer of film and television. He is best known for his collaborations with film director Michael Mann, as well as for directing episodes of: Friday Night Lights, Trauma, The Event and Prime Suspect. In film, he worked as an assistant director for every film directed by Michael Mann, dating back to Manhunter (1986). His other film credits as an assistant director include When Harry Met Sally... (1989), Drop Dead Fred (1991), Highway to Hell (1992), Rudy (1993), Monkey Trouble (1994) and producing and assistant directing the films A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994). Celtic Pride (1996) and Metro (1997). In 2006, Waxman became an assistant director on the television series Friday Nights Lights. He made the head directorial debut of his career on that series in 2008 going on to direct eleven episodes including the series finale. In 2011, He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on the series as a producer. His other television directing credits include Trauma, Parenthood, Breakout Kings, The Event, Prime Suspect, Awake, Grimm, Once Upon a Time, and 12 Monkeys.

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Biography from TMDB.

From
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Works as
Producer
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 19% in 30 days

What are Michael Waxman's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
47%
Bonds
24%
Self
14%
Ideas
9%
Society
6%
Justice3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 0 · Intense 5

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Thrilling
5
Absurd
2
Dread
1
Hopeful
1

How their films linger

Feel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Michael Waxman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michael Waxman's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

30 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page.

  • Chicago Med(2015)

    Show 219 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · In Memory Of

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • 12 Monkeys(2015)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Madam Secretary(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • The Blacklist(2013)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Nashville(2012)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Grimm(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Once Upon a Time(2011)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • The Event(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Public Enemies(2009)

    Second Unit Director · Second Unit First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Friday the 13th(2009)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Friday Night Lights(2006)

    Show 26 episodes · Director · Co-Producer · Producer · as TABC Agent

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Miami Vice(2006)

    Co-Producer · First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Transporter 2(2005)

    Associate Producer · First Assistant Director · Stunts

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Collateral(2004)

    Assistant Director · Co-Producer · as Lenny the Dispatcher (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Scary Movie(2000)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Insider(1999)

    Co-Producer · First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Metro(1997)

    First Assistant Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Celtic Pride(1996)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Heat(1995)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • A Low Down Dirty Shame(1994)

    Associate Producer · First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Knight Rider 2010(1994)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Rudy(1993)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • In the Company of Darkness(1993)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Last of the Mohicans(1992)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Highway to Hell(1991)

    First Assistant Director · as Beer Pitchman

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Drop Dead Fred(1991)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • L.A. Takedown(1989)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • When Harry Met Sally...(1989)

    Second Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Manhunter(1986)

    Second Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Two Worlds of Angelita (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Assistant Director

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles from 1983 to 2015.

Biggest box office

Collateral (2004)

$220M worldwide

Highest rated

The Insider (1999)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Transporter 2 (2005)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 30: 0 only acting, 3 with another roleDirecting9 of 30: 7 only directing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thProducing8 of 30: 1 only producing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thOther crew21 of 30: 14 only other crew, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score55th

30 titles, 8 with more than one role — other crew and directing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1980s4 · crew1990s11 · 1 acting · 11 crew2000s7 · 2 acting · 7 crew2010s8 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Michael Waxman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 20; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 48th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

94thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed8

Most loved · producer

The Insider (1999)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Michael Waxman's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 61 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles14–51 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 77 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 53 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Michael Waxman work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michael Waxman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Roger Birnbaum shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Producers