We recently had the chance to connect with Mike Miller and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mike, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I would say that I have been walking down a path over the years that has been a very long and very complicated one with many obstacles that I have had to face which many people are not aware of.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a christian as well as independent producer, writer, director and actor who has a production company which I created more than a decade ago called Family Horizons Entertainment. It has been the goal through my company to produce different projects that are faith based and family related which is greatly needed in the times that we live in. There are not many producers in Hollywood today that produce family and faith based films and programming as it once was and I am trying to help bring back something that has been missing for some time especially at a time when it is needed the most.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was someone who grew up in somewhat of a difficult childhood. While I was fortunate to grow up in a time where there were things that made many kids happy, at the same time I also grew up in a family that was often not close and was unstable in different ways which effected me a great deal as I was growing up. There was also physical and emotional abuse which I dealt with by members of my family. Among other things, I was often isolated in ways. If anything, I believe that God was in his way sort of calling me to take that experience and to use it to somehow better myself through certain gifts that he gave me in my teens for writing, acting and eventually directing and producing. From there, I had an important passion for pursuing an entertainment career which I eventually relocated to Los Angeles, California.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
I can’t say that it was easy like many others who have grown up with unhappy childhoods and situations such as mine. Different experiences and circumstances that occurred in my family over the years were not easy to grow up with. If anything helped me to get through it, again it was probably through different things on TV including different tv programs and different people who I came to admire growing up including late actor, producer Michael Landon for one who had a very special impact on me over the years. The fact that Michael also had a difficult childhood which also was a lot of what influenced his goals with family programming over the years through his tv shows and projects that he accomplished. There were others who also had a special impact as well which helped me to get through things and to inspire me to help encourage me to accomplish the goals that I set out to accomplish.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I would say that my belief in my current goals are something that I am definitely committed to though I have been made aware of the challenges as there are a number of different obstacles and setbacks that I have had to face in the process. Not to mention a lot of changes that have occurred in the entertainment industry over the years which are not what a lot of other good people would agree with are good. That being said, I have so far been able to accomplish a few small projects to get me going including a documentary about the important issue of homelessness which I have also had personal experience with in the past as well. My most recent project that I completed a few months ago was a short faith based Christmas film called “The Christmas Miracle” which I hope to be successful with in the near future as well. My future goal upon being able to get things more off and running is to accomplish bigger things including more documentaries, television and theatrical film projects related to family programming and important issues that effect all of us in our world today which could not be more needed with so many things that need to be addressed and I believe can improve if people work together.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I believe that God gives all of us gifts with plans for people to accomplish different things in their lives and for certain reasons. Despite a lot of obstacles and problems that I have had to face along the way, I strongly believe that I am doing what I was born to do. There was a time when I was distracted with other goals which unfortunately took me off course for a while which I believe that God also may have sort of called me to get involved with. Though it was an important thing, I eventually came to realize that wasn’t me which is why I decided to abandon that goal to get back to continuing my goals with my entertainment career which originally brought me to L.A. in the first place. Though I am not certain as to how many more obstacles or bridges that I may have to cross to accomplish my current and future goals, I know in my heart that no matter what, I have to stick with it because I am doing what I feel I was born to do.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: www facebook.com/familyhorizonsentertainment/
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