With an IMDb page packed with a host of TV and film accomplishments, Mike Fleiss has had a career many can only dream of carving out for themselves. From reality TV to documentaries to feature films, Fleiss has done it all. It’s not easy to make it amid the competitive bright lights of Hollywood. However, Fleiss was willing to put in the work to get there — and he has a fertile stream of content ideas percolating.
Weaving engaging stories and building meaningful connections with viewers, Fleiss wasn’t afraid to shift from journalism to the entertainment sector early in his career. You could say he’d been preparing for it all his life.
“I watched everything,” Mike Fleiss says of his formative years, during which he soaked up ’70s TV such as The Six Million Dollar Man and Family.
When it comes to developing fresh ideas for the small screen, Fleiss says he asks himself this simple question: “Can I imagine a world where that thing exists and people enjoy it?”
Fleiss’ achievements stem from his skill in creating compelling content and, perhaps surprisingly, from his foundation as a sports journalist. Throughout his career, Fleiss has never been afraid to take intelligent, creative risks.
Mike Fleiss has certainly come a long way since the first show he sold, Before They Were Stars. The concept involved taking well-known celebrities and showing their earliest work in commercials and other obscure projects.
“I watched Jodie Foster do a commercial as a kid for toothpaste or something like that, and then later become a big star,” Mike Fleiss recalls. “So I thought, oh, it would be a fun little show to do.”
In addition to producing films in the popular Hostel trilogy and within the Texas Chainsaw Massacre universe, Fleiss has an impressive catalog of reality shows including High School Reunion, Hollywood Stuntmakers, and The Real Gilligan’s Island.
Outside of his TV and film career, Mike Fleiss is equally passionate about his hobbies, which include sport fishing and making music. He’s buddies with the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir and also started a tribute band with his friend Pat Mayer to perform Grateful Dead and Neil Young covers.
And he’s even shared about the priceless time he spent jamming with the late guitar legend Eddie Van Halen.
“I used to spend a lot of time with Eddie Van Halen,” Fleiss adds. “We both got sober at the same time. We did that together, too. He was an idol of mine.”
A sobriety journey wasn’t the only thing they shared. Van Halen and Fleiss owned both the same hollow-body Gibson Barney Kessel guitar and Mercedes 1993 500 E. Fleiss says the inspiration he took from Van Halen, which he continues to carry with him today.
“We got along great,” Fleiss remembers. “We would sit and play guitar, and [he] would show me how to do little tricks.”
