About Me

Michael R. Barnard — In pursuit of opportunities as a writer and actor.

All my life, from middle school on, I have been a writer.

I was editor of our school newspaper in 9th grade, and my first job was at the local newspaper. I began working in television and radio while still in high school. Eventually, I became Production Manager at a major-market broadcast television station and helped put it on the air. After that, I went independent and wrote, produced, and directed many TV programs, corporate videos, music videos, and other projects.

I helped open Paisley Park Studios and was friends with Prince. I worked on some projects there, most notably his ALPHABET STREET music video. (See My Bumpy Road Through “Hollywood” — WHEN PRINCE WAS KING )

A couple of my scripts attracted the attention of Hollywood in the mid-1980s, and I moved out to Hollywood from Minneapolis at the invitation of WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY (now William Morris Endeavor). The agency liked my spec script for the great old TV series MOONLIGHTING, a script that series head writer Jeff Reno liked and forwarded to the agency for consideration. My spec was WE DON’T DO NO GHOSTS However, the series famously self-imploded at that time, before anything could happen for me. (See My Bumpy Road Through “Hollywood” – THERE ONCE WAS MOONLIGHTING )

As an independent Writer|Producer|Director in Hollywood, I evaluated, pursued, acquired and also wrote several projects for production.

My accurate script about Hollywood became an all-consuming passion project of mine, but EVERYBODY SAYS GOODBYE–The Story of a Father and Son never quite connected even though it was admired by many. Its story about a father who threw out his son for being gay and the son ended up on the streets of Hollywood has always been too edgy for Hollywood studios or independents.

In 2006, I was Co-Producer (and several other positions) of the indie feature film COLLIER & CO.–HOT PURSUIT! starring John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard, Smallville). We set up a platform theatrical run for it, with 35mm prints. Here’s a snippet about my work on the feature film COLLIER & CO.–HOT PURSUIT!:

In 2011, I wrote an historical fiction romance, the novel NATE AND KELLY. It’s a story about the most fascinating year in U.S. history, 1915. A romance intricately woven among accurate historical facts, NATE AND KELLY exposes roots of racism in America a century ago. It’s written in the authentic voice and perspective of September 11, 1915. NATE AND KELLY is available as an ebook and paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

I now pursue my love of acting, which I’ve done off and on throughout my life. Now, it’s my focus.

I have spent most of my life in Hollywood, California. I also lived in New York City twice, a couple years each time. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I’m wildly careening through life simply trying to find love, leaving in my wake tremendous emotional detritus. I try hard to think like someone intelligent, but it hurts my brain. I still hope to make it big someday. Or even make it small.

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