Michael Bay - One of the Most Hated Directors! Quiz | Celebrities

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Before starting his professional career, which university did Michael Bay graduate from?

Answer: Wesleyan University

At Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, Bay studied under Jeanine Basinger, an internationally reputed filmmaker who has been credited as turning the school's film program into one of the top 10 best film schools in the world. Other graduates of the same program Bay graduated from include Joss Whedon, Dana Delaney, Akiva Goldsman, Jon Turtletaub, Paul Weitz, and Zak Penn.

2. What is the first feature movie directed by Michael Bay?

Answer: Bad Boys

Filmed with a modest budget but filled with lots of action and humor, "Bad Boys" is about a pair of best friend narcotics' cops working to solve a case of heroin being stolen from the police station's own secure holding area. The movie grossed over $100 million worldwide. Rumors persisted that originally the actors who were supposed to portray the two leads were Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz.

The actors said so themselves.

3. Only one of his movies is considered a box office failure. It was also the first movie he directed but wasn't produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. What was it?

Answer: The Island

"The Island" had a budget of over $100 million and grossed approximately 1/3 of that. It is a slightly futuristic action movie where wealthy clients pay a company to create clones of them so they can be used as viable donors in case of injury or disease.

A war of words brewed between director Bay and actress Scarlett Johansson in terms of fault for the poor performance of the movie. The movie is also the first to be directed by Michael Bay that wasn't produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, lending to a theory that Michael Bay basically rode on Jerry Bruckheimer's coattails.

His next movie was a tremendous box office success and it also wasn't produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. However it was "Transformers" and was executive produced by Steven Spielberg, who is no slouch himself in the movie making world.

4. Which is the first movie directed by Michael Bay that he also gave himself a small role in?

Answer: "Armageddon" as a NASA scientist

Michael Bay appeared in all those movies except for "Pearl Harbor", but "Armageddon" was the first. This movie is about a giant meteor on course to hit Earth. Michael Bay had a total of 5 seconds of screen time as one of the NASA scientists looking at the Hubble telescope picture of Dottie, the meteor.

5. Michael Bay started Platinum Dunes, a movie production company which focuses on horror/thriller films (although not exclusively), and acts as a producer of many of the films he has directed as well as other movies he has no other role in. Which of these horror remakes is not produced by Michael Bay?

Answer: Halloween

"Halloween" is about Michael Myers, a boy who stabbed his sister to death at 6 years of age, is committed to a mental institution and then, after 15 years, returns home and starts a killing spree. Other horror/thriller movies produced by Michael Bay include "The Amityville Horror", "The Purge", "Ouija" and other genres of movies such as the 2014 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" remake.

6. Michael Bay became the youngest director in Hollywood history to earn $1 billion in the global box office during the release of this adventure starring Bruce Willis, about a meteor descending onto Earth. What movie is it?

Answer: Armageddon

The reason for Michael Bay's quick ascension to reaching that milestone was based on the simple fact that "The Rock", "Pearl Harbor" and "Armageddon" each hit the hundred million dollar thresholds in their releases.

7. Which deceased "Star Trek" actor is related to Michael Bay?

Answer: Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy is the actor who has portrayed the iconic character of Spock in "Star Trek: The Original Series", the first six "Star Trek" movies, as well as the first two "Star Trek" reboot movies. They are cousins-in-law. For the first "Transformers" movie Michael Bay wanted to ask Leonard Nimoy to lend his voice but felt awkward in hiring him. Ironically Leonard Nimoy ended up voicing Sentinel Prime in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon", which was directed by Michael Bay.

8. Which foreign filmmaker challenged Michael Bay to a charity boxing match in 2008?

Answer: Uwe Boll

Uwe Boll challenged Michael Bay to fight in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay in the fall of 2008 - 12 rounds. Boll touted it as the "independent" vs the "major studio" as Boll is known for doing small B-rated movies. Michael Bay declined the challenge.

9. Which of the following movie directing opportunities did Michael Bay *not* turn down?

Answer: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Bay actually accepted the director's chair for Terminator 3, but eventually had to withdrawal and leave the project due to scheduling conflicts. Michael Bay turned down "Red Dragon", which eventually was directed by Brett Ratner, "Man on Fire" which was directed by Tony Scott, and "Van Helsing" which was directed by Stephen Sommers.

10. In which non-Michael Bay directed movie did he have a small role?

Answer: Mystery Men

"Mystery Men" is about a group of second-rate super heroes trying to save their idol, Captain Amazing. Michael Bay appeared as a member of a criminal gang which takes on a theme of being frat boys.

Source: Author thirstydeer

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Michael Bay - One of the Most Hated Directors! Quiz

Known for over-the-top action as well as cookie-tray-depth character strength, Michael Bay is one of Hollywood's most bankable, but often most criticized directors.

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