Mike Fleiss

Mike Fleiss is an American television producer and writer best known as the creator of the globally successful reality television franchise The Bachelor. His career, often centered on provocative and high-concept dating shows, has made him a significant and sometimes controversial figure in the landscape of reality television. Fleiss has also worked on projects in horror and other genres, expanding his influence beyond unscripted programming. His work has earned him several industry awards and nominations, solidifying his impact on popular culture.

Early life and education

Mike Fleiss was born in Fullerton, California, and grew up in the surrounding Orange County area. He attended Servite High School, a private Roman Catholic school in Anaheim. For his higher education, Fleiss enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied political science and graduated with a degree in the late 1980s. His early career aspirations leaned towards journalism, and he initially worked as a writer for publications including Sports Illustrated and The National Sports Daily.

Career

Fleiss's entry into television began in the early 1990s when he joined the production staff of the syndicated tabloid news show Hard Copy. His breakthrough came in 2000 when he created and executive produced the highly publicized and controversial special Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? for the Fox network. The success and notoriety of that event led to the development of the enduring The Bachelor for ABC in 2002, which he created alongside Martin Hilton. The franchise, which later spawned The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and numerous international adaptations, became a cornerstone of ABC's programming and a defining series in the reality romance genre. Through his production company, Next Entertainment, Fleiss has executive produced all iterations of the franchise. Beyond reality TV, he has produced several feature films, including the horror entries The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and its prequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, as well as the comedy The Last Exorcism. He also created the short-lived competition series The Will for CBS and served as an executive producer on the CW drama Hidden Palms.

Personal life

Fleiss has been married twice. His first marriage was to Alexandra Vorran in 1999; the couple divorced in 2012. In 2014, he married Laura Kaeppeler, who was crowned Miss America 2012. The couple resides in Hawaii on the island of Kauai, where Fleiss owns a substantial property. He is an avid fan of Cal Bears football and is known for his interest in surfing. Fleiss has been involved in various philanthropic efforts, including support for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Filmography

A selected list of television and film productions includes: * Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? (2000) – Creator/Executive Producer * The Bachelor (2002–present) – Creator/Executive Producer * The Bachelorette (2003–present) – Executive Producer * The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) – Producer * Bachelor in Paradise (2014–present) – Executive Producer * The Last Exorcism (2010) – Producer * The Disney Family Singalong (2020) – Executive Producer

Awards and nominations

Fleiss's work on The Bachelor franchise has been recognized by the television industry. He received the Reality Television Award for Outstanding Reality Program at the 2004 PRISM Awards. The show has earned multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition Program in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2020, Fleiss and the producing team won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program for an episode of The Bachelorette featuring the franchise's first Black lead, Rachel Lindsay. His production of The Last Exorcism was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Category:American television producers Category:American screenwriters Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni