Michael Williams is an Academy and Emmy Award winning producer and co-owner of Scout Productions. Over the course of his career, Michael has achieved considerable industry recognition, including an Oscar for producing Errol Morris' documentary The Fog of War, an Emmy for executive producing the barrier-breaking Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and most recently, an Emmy for OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network's Home Made Simple. Queer Eye, in particular, also earned Michael the 2004 PGA Producer of the Year Award, and would go on to air in over 120 countries. He is currently executive producing an all new Queer Eye, set to premiere on Netflix in early 2018. Michael has also produced the Sundance Channel's Big Ideas for a Small Planet, for which he earned an EMA Best Documentary Series Award; NESN's Sox Appeal, for which he earned two New England Emmy Awards; the critically acclaimed ABC series The Quest, which brought reality competition to the world of high fantasy; four seasons of The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie, one of HGTV's biggest-budget landscape shows; and many other series. Beyond The Fog of War, Michael's collaborations with documentary auteur Errol Morris also includes the award-winning feature documentary Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr., as well as the acclaimed television series First Person for Bravo and IFC. Michael's previous features include Brad Anderson's thrillers Session 9 and Transsiberian, which starred Sir Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, and Woody Harrelson.
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Biography from IMDb.
- February 14, 1957 (69)
- Producer, also writer
- 19 on MovieCove · 23 credits in all
What are Michael Williams' films like?
Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 7
Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 5
Grounded 3 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0
A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 4
A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0
A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0
Casual 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 1 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 4
Resolved 1 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet5
- Tragic3
- Ambiguous6
- Cyclical1
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 Williams' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Michael Williams' 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
23 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page.
The Motherhood(2025)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
The Charlie Puth Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
The Secrets of Hillsong(2023)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
MerPeople(2023)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows
I Love You, You Hate Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
The Hype(2021)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows
To Catch a Beautician(2020)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
Equal(2020)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows
Say I Do(2020)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows
Tirdy Works(2020)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows
Queer Eye(2018)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows
The Quest(2014)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
Nothing Left to Fear(2013)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Transsiberian(2008)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Sordid Lives: The Series(2008)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)
The Fog of War(2003)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Session 9(2001)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Never Met Picasso(1996)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Six Ways to Sunday(1997)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 12 titles from 1997 to 2024.
Biggest box office
Transsiberian (2008)
Highest rated
The Fog of War (2003)
Most popular right now
Queer Eye (2018)
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.
Awards
an Oscar, 7 Primetime Emmys and 1 other major award from 14 major nominations, 2004–2024.
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Structured Reality Program
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Structured Reality Program
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Structured Reality Program
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Structured Reality Program
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Structured Reality Program
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Structured Reality Program
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Structured Reality Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Reality Program
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
Show 1 earlier yearShow fewer
- Oscar, won · Best Documentary, Features
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Reality Program
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Reality/Game/Informational Series Television
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Michael Williams' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 54th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th5
- 25th to 49th5
- Below 25th5
Shape of the crowd
6 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Universally Panned1
- Divisive4
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser6
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the dialogue 58/100 and the plot and story 51/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
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 Williams' work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Michael Williams work with?
People who share at least 2 of Michael Williams' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Collins shares the most, 14.
Directors
- Stephen KijakShared titles: Equal (2020), Big Ideas for a Small Planet (2007), Never Met Picasso (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Stephen Kijak
- Brad AndersonShared titles: Transsiberian (2008), Session 9 (2001)See all 2 shared titles with Brad Anderson
- Errol MorrisShared titles: The Fog of War (2003), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Errol Morris
Cinematographers and editors
- Doug AbelShared titles: The Fog of War (2003), Six Ways to Sunday (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Doug Abel
- Karen SchmeerShared titles: The Fog of War (2003), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Karen Schmeer
- Peter DonahueShared titles: The Fog of War (2003), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Peter Donahue
Producers
- David CollinsShared titles: The Motherhood (2025), MerPeople (2023), The Secrets of Hillsong (2023), The Hype (2021), Equal (2020), Say I Do (2020), Tirdy Works (2020), To Catch a Beautician (2020), Queer Eye (2018), Big Ideas for a Small Planet (2007), Session 9 (2001), Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999) and 2 moreSee newest 12 of 14 shared titles with David Collins
- Rob EricShared titles: The Motherhood (2025), MerPeople (2023), The Secrets of Hillsong (2023), The Hype (2021), Equal (2020), Say I Do (2020), Tirdy Works (2020), To Catch a Beautician (2020), Queer Eye (2018), The Quest (2014), Nothing Left to Fear (2013), Sordid Lives: The Series (2008)See all 12 shared titles with Rob Eric
- Gerrit V. FolsomShared titles: MerPeople (2023), The Secrets of Hillsong (2023), The Hype (2021), Nothing Left to Fear (2013), Big Ideas for a Small Planet (2007)See all 5 shared titles with Gerrit V. Folsom
- Joel ChiodiShared titles: MerPeople (2023), The Secrets of Hillsong (2023), The Hype (2021), Equal (2020), Queer Eye (2018)See all 5 shared titles with Joel Chiodi
Mixed roles
- Peter SaroufimShared titles: Equal (2020), Tirdy Works (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Peter Saroufim