Michael Herz
Michael Herz (born May 9, 1949) is an American film producer, director and screenwriter.
Michael Herz
- Name
- Michael Herz
- Born
- 9 May 1949
- Birthplace
- New York City, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Film producer
- Nationality
- United States.
- Education
- New York University, Yale University and New York University School of Law.
- Languages
- English.
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Michael Herz (born May 9, 1949) is an American film producer, director and screenwriter.
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Born In · outgoing
New York City
Place
Educated At · outgoing
New York University
Organisation
Educated At · outgoing
New York University School of Law
Organisation
Citizen Of · outgoing
United States
Place

Educated At · outgoing
Yale University
Organisation
https://www.flickr.com/photos/paul_lowry/2426552339/in/set-72157604635151268/
Documentary evidence
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- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q944978
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Michael Herz • Born — 9 May 1949 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Occupation — * Film producer • director • screenwriter
Life and career
Life and career
Herz and Kaufman first met when both of them were attending Yale University. Initially, the two didn't get along; Kaufman has stated that the only reason the two hung out with each other was that Herz owned a pinball machine and Kaufman was the only person in their dormitory who owned a television. Regardless, he was cast in a small part in Kaufman's first feature film, The Girl Who Returned. After graduating from Yale, Herz went on to study law at New York University. Although he was quite adept at the subject, he secretly harbored a desire to become a screenwriter. His girlfriend Maris, who was a friend of Lloyd Kaufman's, took Herz to see Cry Uncle!, a film that Kaufman served as a production manager on. Impressed, Herz contacted Kaufman and was hired for the production of the 1973 film Sugar Cookies. In 1974, Kaufman and Herz formed Troma Entertainment. Together, they co-directed and co-produced all of Troma's original movies from 1979's Squeeze Play! to 1990's Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D., when Herz relinquished control of the director's chair to focus on the business end of Troma Studios. Herz is known to be shy, allowing the more charismatic Kaufman to be the public face of Troma. Apart from brief appearances in the Class of Nuke 'Em High series, Herz has remained behind the scenes. Whenever a Troma promotional video called for an appearance by Herz or when Kaufman was not available, the character of 'Michael Herz' was played by Troma's iconic 500-pound actor Joe Fleishaker. With his wife Maris, they have one daughter, Sloane.
As a director and producer
As a director and producer
• Waitress! (1981) • Stuck on You! (1982) (also co-writer) • The First Turn-On! (1983) (also co-writer) • The Toxic Avenger (1984) • Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986) (also actor) • Troma's War (1988) • The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989) (also actor) • The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989) • Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990)
As a producer
As a producer
• Squeeze Play! (1979) • Mother's Day (1980) • The Dark Side of Midnight (1984) • Igor & The Lunatics (1985) • Screamplay (1985) • Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986) • Girl School Screamers (1986) • Combat Shock (1986) • Lust for Freedom (1987) • Fortress of Amerikkka (1989) • Class of Nuke 'Em High Part II: Subhumanoid Meltdown (1991) (also actor) • Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid (1994) (also actor) • Blondes Have More Guns (1995) • Tromeo and Juliet (1996) • Sucker: The Vampire (1998) • Terror Firmer (1999) • The Rowdy Girls (2000) • Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000) • All the Love You Cannes! (2002) • Doggie Tails: Lucky's First Sleep-Over (2003) • Parts of the Family (2003) • Tales from the Crapper (2004) • Make Your Own Damn Movie! (2005) • Slaughter Party (2005) • Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006) • Dancing into the Future (2007) • Kickball: The Movie! (2008) • Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 (2013) • The Toxic Avenger (2023)
Identity
Identity
Indexed under Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and Applications, Medical Imaging Techniques and Applications, Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research, Peptidase Inhibition and Analysis, Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism. Associated with University of Southern California, University of Minnesota, State University of New York, Tel Aviv University. Recorded as film director, screenwriter, film producer and actor.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1949
Michael Herz was born on 9 May 1949.
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly index
- OpenAlex author record A5065609706 for Michael Herz.
Unverified · OpenAlex
authority file
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q944978: Michael Herz
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
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References
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scholarly index
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Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
People, houses and institutions
Knowledge graph
People, houses and institutions
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Studied at
1- Yale UniversityOrganisation
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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