Michael Head (Film Director, Writer and Actor) was recently interviewed by TheCelebrity.Online Magazine and below is the Q&A session we had with Michael.

Michael Head As Cover Story Interview – December 2025 Magazine Edition

How do you introduce yourself?

My name is Michael Head, I am a film director, writer and actor. My films include The Last Heist (an amazon best seller based on my west end play Time), A Gangsters Kiss, Bermondsey Tales: Fall of the Roman Empire (sold world wide as London Tales), A Meeting Across the River, and upcoming films The Spin, which has just sold to the BBC and Jackie The Stripper which is set for a world wide cinematic release early next year. 

I am known for my working class South London roots and although my films range from gritty South London crime films based on my family to an Irish family friendly buddy road trip movie the common thread in all my films is comedy, life is hard so I feel my films should make you laugh…hopefully. 

What Hardships Have You Gone Through In Life?

This is a hard one, on my hand I guess you could say I had many hardships. I was born into a single parent working class family. I never met my father until I was nearly thirty and my mother who raised me had mental health issues (Borderline Personality Disorder), couple this with the fact my grandfather who was my hero and raised me was a connected to organized crime and every day I would be worried he could be locked up for the best part of twenty years, however it sounds far more dramatic than it was. truth is I had an amazing childhood that was surrounded with love and support. What many might say was a hardship, I would say was character building and gave me my life lessons and my moral compass. Now as a happily married man and father of two beautiful daughters my family means everything to me, which is something ingrained in me from childhood. Having a close family/friends and good morals for me is the most important thing.

These difficulties also gave me the character and desire to prove people wrong. I was written off at school for being ‘thick’ when the truth was I was dyslexic but my school never really understood it. incidents like this made me strive to achieve in what is a difficult industry. To become a multi award winning and critically acclaimed writer and director is something my school would never have dreamed was possible. 

What do people not know about you?

That my whole career is an accident. I come from a boxing background, my granddad run the presitgious Silwood boxing club and my uncle was a fantastic boxer but I was both lazy and not overly keen on getting hit so decided that a career in musical theatre should involve me getting hit less. I trained at The London School Of Musical Theatre which was by where I grew up in Bermondsey. Musicals however wasn’t really for me so I turned to acting but couldn’t get work as my C.V and training was in musicals. My agent at the time joked I should write a play, which I did.

That play called Worth A Flutter won a number of awards, got rave reviews and got offered a West End Transfer. From that play, which I wrote purely to act  lead to a number of plays being written including the Royal British Legion, F.A and premier League’s backed The Greater Game (true story about footballers in ww1) and then covid shut down my west end play Time, I was training to be a history teacher when that play got turned into a film The Last Heist. Since then I’ve been blessed to make 8 films and direct three. I never planned to be a writer or director nor did I train or take any lessons in this. It was all luck and very much an accident 

What sets you apart from others?

I am not sure anything sets me apart as such, I am just very lucky and blessed to of worked with some amazing people. My crew are all amazingly talented and make up for my lack of knowledge and experience. I have also been blessed to work with some amazing actors including James Phelps (Harry Potter franchise), John Hannah (The Mummy, Four Weddings and A Funeral), Patsy Kensit (Lethal Weapon 2),  Daniel Mays (Ashes to Ashes, Made in Dagenham), Neil Dudgeon (midsomer murders), Sadie Frost (empire state, Bram Stoker’s Dracular) . To work with such amazingly talented people is a blessing. 

If anything does set me apart maybe it is my background and upbringing. I was always surrounded by natural storytellers, stories with people connected to The Great Train Robbery or the Krays for example. These are stories which fascinat people however when told they are often violent or macho. In truth these stories where always told with affection and comedy and this is what I bring to my style of writing. Films show the hardest man in prison, truth is if you are serving 20 years you are better off being funny and honest than tough. I aim to bring this to my writing whatever the genre of film. 

Upcoming Major Events

My film The Spin has just had it’s London Premier and Irish cinematic run and in the new year it will be going out in cinemas in the UK before being shown on the BBC. For me to have a film on the BBC is not only a huge achievement but shows it is possible for anyone to make it if they are dedicated and work with good people. 

The big one for me is Jackie The Stripper, the film is set for a world wide release including a cinematic run in the new year.  I am very proud of all my films however Jackie The Stripper is a level up for me and the best film I have ever made. I am very proud of it and excited to see what is in store for the film and hopefully a good 2026 with the sequel to the film Jackie The Stripper: The Black Widows due to be filmed around the same time as the first film’s release.  

What Advise would you like to give?

Firstly surround yourself with good people, I would be nothing without my team and it is impossible to make good films without the right support and talent working with you. I also think it is important to set aside ego, I have seen so many talented directors and writers be let down by putting their ego first. Take the work seriously but never yourself. 

Finally is it do it, so many will give you advice and try and hold you back, if I listened to these people I’d be a history teacher right now (nothing wrong with that but making films is a lot more fun). People will tell you, you can’t do that or this is how things should be done. 

I have never trained, never followed the rule book and always done what people said I can’t. Surround yourself with people who back you and say yes, lots of people talk the talk but you need people that will make things happen with you not tell you things can not be done. 

Also don’t strive for perfection or to be someone else. it is the ‘you’ness of you’ that makes you special be true to yourself and make things happen. Only experience will make you better at your craft.

Social Meida Handles And Websites

Instagram: @Iammichaelhead