BIOGRAPHY

Mike Guy was born on August 14, 1951 in Knoxville Tennessee, almost literally at the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains.  At the age of 3 months, Mike's family moved to Tampa, Florida.  Mike often banters that he is three months shy of being a Florida native.  Mike is a life-long Floridian.  Mike's father began teaching him guitar when he was just six years old.   Mike developed a love for music and the arts.  Playing music with friends, Mike formed several local bands and performed as a weekend musician for many years.  After graduating, Mike realized that he would never make a decent living as a musician so he began a career as a transportation engineer and planner with the Florida Department of Transportation.

In 1971, Mike married his lovely wife Pam.  In 1978 Mike and Pam were blessed with their beautiful daughter Kristen.  In 1990 after 20 years of service, Mike left the Department of Transportation and accepted a high profile position as Executive Director of the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization [an agency responsible for planning and setting priorities for transportation improvement projects.]  Although Mike's demanding career in transportation hindered his pursuit of the arts, he continued to perform in local bands on the weekends and later formed a part time mobile disc jockey company "NightFlight Productions."   Deep down inside Mike had a burning desire to be a full-time performer.  After all, his job as executive director required him to conduct public meetings and provide on camera interviews with news media.  Even his monthly board meetings were televised.  So Mike decided that it was time to develop his skills as an actor.

In the summer of 1994 Mike began studies at his first acting workshop.  The workshop focused primarily on the business of acting rather than the craft.  Without any professional acting credits to his name he was encouraged to get headshots and seek out agency representation.  Not long after that Mike booked his first paid professional role in a non-union commercial.  This added just enough fuel to the fire to cause him to really pursue his burning desire to become a professionally trained actor.

In 1995 Mike began studies with acting teacher Kathy Laughlin at the Performers Studio Workshop, in Tampa.  This workshop teaches the Eric Morris method of acting which includes the business, instrument and craft.  At that time, Mike told Kathy the he had a "ten-year plan".  He was scheduled to retire from his "day job" in the summer of 2005 and would use the next ten years to concentrate on studying the craft and building a resume'.

Over the next ten years Mike booked several roles in theater, television and film.  One of Mike's most memorable performances is the role of David Darling in the stage performance of "Cat's Paw."  Although Mike spent many years on the stage as a musician, this was Mike's first stage performance as an actor.

In 2003, Mike became a member of the Screen Actor's Guild

On June 30, 2005, after 35 years in transportation engineering and planning, Mike retired from his full-time day job.  The June 27, 2005 edition of the Bradenton Herald said it best, " After a 35-year career focused on moving people, Mike Guy is switching gears to moving pictures."  Mike continues to live and work as an Actor in Florida but has plans to head out to LA where the action is.  So, at an age when most people are looking ahead to the end of their working years, after thirty-five years in transportation, Mike has retired from that profession to pursue another, his passion as a full-time professional actor.

Mike's advice for young actors comes from a quote by the late, great Michael Landon, "Someone ought to tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying.  Do it! I say.  Whatever you want to do, do it now!  There are only so many tomorrows."