Michael J. Nelson
Biography
Michael J. Nelson is the former host and writer of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000. Since that time, he has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned a regular column for TV Guide, and authored best-selling books for both HarperCollins and Abrams.
His first book, Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese, thrilled critics, including Richard Schickel of Time Magazine, who said of Mike, "He's more fun than a barrel of Val Kilmers... Smarter than a roomful of Patrick Swayzes... and almost as hilarious as Keanu Reeves." Mike's laugh-out-loud follow-up, Mind Over Matters, prompted Kirkus Reviews to enthuse, "From someplace called Minnesota comes a Nelson funnier than Ozzie, Ricky, Lord or Half," and even dared to compare him to another legendary writer, saying of his Serious Speech to Business People, "[It] could easily precede [Robert] Benchley's immortal Treasurer's Report."
And Kirkus Reviews loved his novel, Death Rat!, saying, "Fast-paced, outrageous and funny, first-novelist Nelson's mockery of media mendacity is as biting as La Dolce Vita or Network--only funnier!"
Nelson speaks all over the country, is a frequent guest on radio and television, and along with fellow former MST3K writers/performers Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy operate a podcast called RiffTrax, which, in a similar vein to MST3K, targets more mainstream films.
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Full filmography
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Valeria
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Mike Nelson
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Torgo
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Tony Travis (voice)
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Morrissey
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Officer Mike
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Holo-Clown
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Imperialistic Alien
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Isaac Asimov Literary Doomsday Device (voice)
- Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989) as Kenny
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments as Mike Nelson
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996) as Mike Nelson
- The Adventures of Edward the Less (2001) as The Noble One (voice)
- Rifftrax Live: Samurai Cop (2017) as Self
- RiffTrax Live: Mothra (2016) as Self
- Total Riff Off (2014)
- This Is MST3K (1992) as Self
- RiffTrax Live: Godzilla (2014) as Self
- RiffTrax Live: RAD (2023) as Self
- RiffTrax Live: Octaman (2019) as Self
- RiffTrax Live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2013 (2013) as Himself
- The Last Dance: RAW (1999) as Himself / Mike Nelson
- RiffTrax Live: "Manos" the Hands of Fate (2012) as Self
- RiffTrax Live: Point Break (2024) as Self