MICHAEL “MIKE” WHITE, born on this date, is an American writer, actor, producer, and director for television and film, and reality television show contestant. He has won numerous awards, including the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award for the 2000 film Chuck & Buck, which he wrote and starred in. He has written the screenplays for films such as School of Rock and has directed several films that he has written, such as Brad’s Status. He was the co-creator, executive producer, writer, director and actor on the HBO series Enlightened. White is also known for his appearances on reality television, competing on two seasons of The Amazing Race and later becoming a contestant and runner-up on Survivor. He created, wrote, and directed the 2021 HBO satire comedy anthology series The White Lotus.

White was born in Pasadena, California. He attended Polytechnic School and Wesleyan University. White is the son of Lyla Lee (née Loehr), a fundraising executive, and Reverend Dr. James Melville “Mel” White, a former speechwriter and ghostwriter for Religious Right figures such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. White is openly bisexual. His father came out as gay in 1994.

White was a writer and producer on Dawson’s Creek and Freaks and Geeks and wrote and acted in the films Chuck & Buck, The Good Girl, Orange County, School of Rock and Nacho Libre. He also had a role in the 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives, and the 2008 film Smother. Chuck & Buck, in which White portrayed a manchild who stalks his childhood friend, was named the best film of 2000 by Entertainment Weekly. In an interview with The New York Times, Jeff Bridges called White’s turn in Chuck & Buck “the performance of the decade”.

He frequently collaborates with actor–writer Jack Black on films. Together they formed the production company Black and White, which closed in 2006. While he is not a fan of classic rock, he wrote School of Rock specifically so Black could perform his own favorite rock music.