Michael Southworth

Released in theaters on April 12th, 2024, The Long Game is a historical drama starring Dennis Quaid, Jay Hernandez, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Julian Works, Cheech Marin and Oscar Nuñez. Southworth portrays the antagonist, Tim Cox - the privileged son of country club big Judge Cox (Brett Cullen). Mucho Mas Media, Endeavor Content, and Bonniedale produced, and the film premiered at the 2023 SXSW Festival, taking home the Narrative Spotlight Audience Award.

The film is based on a true story set in 1957 Texas, which was described in Humberto G. Garcia’s novel “The Mustang Miracle.” The feature tells the story of five Mexican-American high schoolers who caddy at an exclusive golf club. Due to a discriminatory era that forbids them from playing at local courses, they create their own homemade course in the desert; with the help of a determined Latino coach, the boys take on the prejudiced, all-white teams in pursuit of the Texas State High School Golf Championship.

Written by Southworth, The Diamondback is an action-packed western inspired by one of Arizona’s most notorious outlaws. The script won dozens of awards, including a Semi-Finalist placement at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. The project is currently in development with Thunder Road Films, with Dennis Quaid and Southworth set to star in early 2024.

Logline: A young marine veteran with nothing to lose decides to rob a trio of banks with his two best friends, but a tenacious cop makes catching him his personal mission, setting up a collision-course cat-and-mouse game that careens in and out of jail.

The Lonesome Soldier is a true story drama that was shot in New Mexico in April of 2022. The film was produced by Malachi Pictures and directed by Nino Aldi (Who Killed Cooper Dunn?), with Alexander Randazzo, John Ashton, Jesse James, and Allison McAtee alongside Southworth. The feature began post-production in the summer of 2022 and is set for a 2023 release.

Set in Nashville, the film tells the story of Jackson Harlow (Randazzo), a troubled car mechanic and musician who leaves his bandmates Bobby and Lawler (Southworth and James) to enlist in the Afghanistan War. After suffering from severe PTSD from multiple deployments, Harlow begins to lose his way in the height of the opioid crisis. The story centers around themes of trauma, addiction, love, and the painful repercussions of serving one’s country.

Full film available here on Youtube and Google Play.

Michael played the lead role of Sgt. John Reese in Love in Country, a $2 million budget Vietnam War epic directed by Kurt Braun and written by Richard Gayton. The film wrapped shooting in June of 2019 and is currently in the festival circuit. This indie feature tells a moving story of forbidden love amid the darkness and trauma of war.

1968. A few days before Tet the Lunar New Year, a squad of 1st Cavalry Army Rangers prepare for leave away from war in Vietnam. The squad’s leave is abruptly cancelled when they are given a Phoenix Program mission to kidnap a village official thought to be a Viet Cong operative and agent of the North Vietnamese.

Sgt. Ian Alexander (David Garber) and Sgt. John Reese (Southworth), two highly trained Rangers, lead their squad in a desperate attempt to survive a botched mission. Ian and Reese have fallen in love with each other during the intimacy of combat, trauma and survival. They struggle with a taboo relationship in a time before “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” PTSD, and a merciless commander who will use any means necessary to complete their mission.

Awards:

Best Picture: Los Angeles Film Awards

Best International Feature: Madrid Arthouse Film Festival

Best US Feature: Austin International Art Festival

Best International Feature: Golden Eagle Indie Film Festival

Best LGBTQ Film: Montreal Independent Film Festival

His first role in a major feature film, Michael played “Homeless Man” in Paramount Picture’s Same Kind of Different As Me (2017). The film is based upon the 2006 New York Times best selling novel “Same Kind of Different As Me,” written by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. A close friend of Ron and Beth Hall, Michael is closely connected to the film and strongly supports its message.

The film tells the story of Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear), a successful art dealer who admits to cheating on his wife, Deborah (Renee Zellwegger). After she forces him to volunteer at a homeless shelter, he befriends a wise, troubled homeless man named Denver Moore (Djimoun Hounsou), a man who ultimately changes Ron’s life.

A Peter Berg film, Patriot’s Day (2016) tells the story of the horrific Boston Marathon Bombing through the lens of Boston Police Department Sergeant Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg).

The crime-drama-thriller was met with critical acclaim, becoming the third movie that Berg and Wahlberg worked on together. Michael plays an MIT student in the film.

Michael plays the New Comic in Sweeney Killing Sweeney (2018), a comedic feature film starring all of Boston’s biggest comedians. A struggling comedian, the New Comic relies upon Steve Sweeney (played by himself) for guidance and support.

The film is directed by Lisa Aimola and produced by the Regency Film Group. Starring Steve Sweeney, the film chronicles the life of a comedian who dreams of landing a cable TV special in LA. When he changes his routine in hopes of gaining national popularity, things take a turn for the worse.

“You’ll Live” is a short horror & proof of concept film produced by Meanwhile, a film production studio in Los Angeles. The film was written and directed by Brian Lipko and is currently being made into a feature film.

The short has garnered critical acclaim, taking home the award for Best Horror at the LA Under the Stars Film Festival. It was also an official selection at the Culver City Film Festival.

After Monica (Carolina Kenney) overdoses on heroin, a close group of college friends decide it’s time to intervene. They rope in Nick (Southworth), Monica’s older brother, to come to Monica’s aid and help her recover. Once they arrive at their secluded lodge, the group stumbles upon a board game that leads to the longest night of their lives…

Directed and co-written by Kristen Batko, A Love Story is an award-winning short film about teenage love and the struggles of escaping abusive relationships. Shot by Dakota Dafield, the film finished principal photography in April of 2019 and will be premiering at Hollywood’s historic Chinese TCL 6 Theater in 2020.

When we first meet Nicole (Casey Knisely) and Dominick (Southworth), it is clear they have a powerful chemistry. Both teenagers with traumatic upbringings, their relationship becomes more and more powerful as they lean on each other for love and support. However, everything changes when Nicole discovers that there’s more to Dominick than his charming surface.

Awards:

Winner, Best Performances (FFFF) 2020

Official Selections:

Toronto Independent Film Festival

Feedback Female Film Festival (FFFF)

Lift-Off Global Network

A feature film that is currently in development, Franconia Notch is based upon “Bad Blood: Freedom and Death in the White Mountains,” the acclaimed novel by Casey Sherman. Sherman is best known for his novels “The Finest Hours” and “Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy,” both of which were made into major motion pictures “The Finest Hours” starring Chris Pine and “Patriot’s Day” starring Mark Wahlberg, respectively. Sherman wrote the film’s screenplay, and the film will be directed by John Stimpson (Ghost Light), one of New England’s most prolific film directors.

Franconia Notch is the riveting account of the long-standing feud between Franconia, NH, police officer Bruce Mckay, 45, and Liko Kenney, 24. In May 2007, Kenney and McKay’s chilling rivalry ended with Kenney shooting and killing McKay, and a mysterious passerby shooting and killing Kenney, the cousin of legendary skier Bode Miller. When a detective with a troublesome history in Franconia gets assigned to the case, mysterious aspects of the case start to unravel in this gripping thriller.

Southworth has accepted a major supporting role in the film, which will be produced by Sherman and Dave Wedge’s Fort Point Media and Stimpson’s H9 Films.

Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Giovanni Pugliese (The Tailor Shop), The Hotel is a surrealist, psychological thriller with Michael Southworth attached in the lead role of Roman Murphy. Principal Photography will take place at The Renaissance, an upscale country club located in Haverhill, MA.

When struggling novelist Roman Murphy checks into a luxurious, secluded hotel, he has one goal in mind: overcome his writer’s block. After bumping into his ex-girlfriend, Martha, Roman agrees to meet her for breakfast the next morning. After Roman realizes that Martha is no longer in the hotel, he assumes that he has been ghosted. However, Roman also discovers that his identity has been changed - his driver’s license and hotel reservation display a different name and several hotel guests fail to recognize him. While Roman starts to question his sanity, one other hotel guest confirms his notion that something is off about the hotel. When this guest disappears, Roman discerns that his behavior in this seemingly unescapable hotel may have a direct correlation to his safety.

A psychological thriller, Lucius (2017) is a short film that tells the story of David (Southworth), a man who starts to question the loyalty of his girlfriend, Melissa (Elena Valastro). As he investigates into his suspicions, he starts questioning his reality, having frequent visits from a man named Lucius (Thomas Marin).

The film is directed by Ian Rothweiler and was shot in Ithaca, NY. In addition to starring in the film, Michael also helped score the film, composing several tracks for the film’s soundtrack. The film also marks Rothweiler’s directorial debut.

Written and directed by Wenqin Ni, Daemon is an award-winning short film that was shot in March of 2019. It has received ten wins and four nominations, having garnered attention for its provocative depiction of drug addiction.

John (Southworth), a young man with a severe heroin addiction, indulges in the luxuries of a drug that consistently change his reality. When he is visited by the embodiment of his addiction (John Ver Mulm), he is forced to face his demons, even if it might be too late.

Wins:

Calcutta International Film Festival: Best Short Film, Best Director

Festigious International Film Festival: Best Director (Honorable Mention)

FilmCon Awards: Best Drama (March)

Los Angeles Film Awards: Best Drama Short (Honorable Mention)

New York Film Awards: Best Indie Filmmaker (March)

Oniros Film Awards: Best Under 5 Minute Film (March)

Tagore International Film Festival: Best Short Film, Best Director

Top Shorts Film Festival: First Time Director (Honorable Mention)

Nominations:

Independent Shorts Awards International Film Festival: Best Drama Short, Best Director (Female)

Oniros Film Awards: Best Director, Best Drama Short

This Is Our Youth is a play by dramatist and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan, the recent Academy Award winner behind Manchester By The Sea (2016). The play first premiered off-Broadway in 1996, eventually finding its way to Cornell in 2017.

The show was co-directed by Michael and Thomas Marin, both of whom starred in the show as Warren Straub and Dennis Ziegler, respectively. It was performed in Cornell’s Schwartz Center to sold out shows and marked Michael’s directorial debut.

Set in an action-packed 1980s Manhattan, the show is full of comedy, pain, and an abundance of all-too-familiar coming-of-age moments that connect with any audience. The story revolves around Warren, a dejected 19-year-old who steals $15,000 from his abusive father; Dennis, his charismatic drug-dealing friend who helps put the money to good use; and Jessica (Selin Onar), an insecure, insightful woman who Warren yearns for.

In Those Jungles is a short film that was released in November of 2018. The drama was directed by Rhys Kroehler, and produced by Stephanie Antebi & written by Colin Dale.

San Diego, 1972. After returning from the Vietnam War, Jamison (Weston James Lord) waits in a hotel room for his fiancé (Sarah Withers) who he hasn’t seen in years. Before she arrives, he receives an unexpected visit from his best friend during the war, Quentin (Southworth) - an encounter that resurfaces a hidden relationship he chose to forget.

Released in December of 2018, “Suburban Dad” tells the story of, well…a not-so-suburban dad. When Jessica (Selin Cuhadaroglu) brings her boyfriend Tyler (Southworth) home to meet her father (Trent Walker), things don’t exactly go according to plan.

The film is written and directed by Taylor Willis, edited by TJ Ryan, and produced by Noelle Hanson.

What would you do if you knew you only had ten minutes to live?

When government worker Isaac (Southworth) returns from work, he knows the end is near. Well aware that a nuclear bomb is minutes away from decimating the entire city, Isaac wrestles with how to tell his wife, Eva (Sarah Withers).

“The End” is a short film that explores themes of life, death, and what it means to be happy. Written and directed by Rhys Kroehler, the film marks Michael’s second collaboration with both Kroehler and Withers. The film was released in October of 2019.

Heathers: The Musical is a musical based off of the 1988 cult classic Heathers, a black comedy film written by Daniel Waters. The musical’s lyrics, music and book are all by Lawrence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, and it debuted Off Broadway in 2014.

The show was put on by Enter Stage Left Theater, the resident theater of the Hopkinton Center for the Arts in Hopkinton, MA. Directed by Rachel Mackenzie, the show ran in August of 2016, with complete sell-outs for every performance.

The show tells the love story between Veronica (Taylor Karin) and JD (Chet Davino). Veronica is a new girl at school who tries her best to fit in with the vicious “Heathers,” and JD is a rebellious social outsider. Veronica and JD’s relationship becomes much more complicated after JD murders two high school bullies, Kurt (Southworth) and Ram (Sam Keith).

The Melodramatics Theater Company presented the 1950s classic West Side Story in the spring of 2016 at Cornell’s Flexible Theater. Directed by Andrea Fiorentini ‘16, the production was edgy and bold, undoubtedly fueled by the turmoil sparked by 2016’s presidential election. Michael played Action in the performance, the eventual leader of the jets and a brutal instigator.

Whether it was Fiorentini’s emphasis on police brutality through her version of “Gee, Officer Krupke,” or her unmistakable emphasis on uniting races and genders, the show delivers through a modern, innovative lens. Sold out every performance, the production succeeded on giving the audience much more to focus on than the tragic love story of Tony (Sean Doolittle) and Maria (Daniella Liotta).

After Michael finished his roles as both a performer and a dance captain, he was elected President of the Melodramatics Theater Company in 2016.

Written by Sarah Ruhl, Eurydice is a 2003 play that retells the myth of Orpheus through the perspective of Eurydice. The show was performed in the fall of 2016 at the Flexible Theatre at Cornell University.

The performance featured Priscilla Olympio as Eurydice, Michael as Orpheus, and Jorge Guevara as Eurydice’s father. Directed by Pulitzer Prize Finalist David M. Feldshuh, the show marked the second collaboration between Michael and Feldshuh.

When Orpheus loses Eurydice in a bad fall to the Underworld, he embarks on a journey to bring her back to earth. However, Eurydice finds strange comfort in the underworld as she is joined by her father, forcing her to make a life-changing decision when Orpheus finally arrives.

On The Verge, which premiered in 1985, is an Eric Overmyer play that tells the story of three explorers who adventure into the land of Terra Incognita, the last and most mysterious of unexplored territories. The show was directed by Miss Evers’ Boys writer David Feldshuh at Cornell’s Flexible Theater in 2015.

When Marry (Carolyn Goelzer), Fanny (Julie Locker) and Alex (Sarah Coffey) begin to encounter strange beings in the land of Terra Incognita, they discover that they are traveling through time. While the journey starts in 1988, they eventually find themselves all the way in 1955, questioning their senses of reality and purpose.

Along the way they encounter an energetic American teenager named Gus, and a not-so-frightening Yeti, both played by Southworth.