Staff box dossier

Name: Michael Miller
Job Title: Consultant, Office of the Senate President Pro Tem
Other: Organizer of bipartisan weekend touch football games, trivia buff, film maker.

How long have you worked for the Legislature? Where were you before your current gig?

I came to the Legislature in 1993. I previously worked as a Legislative Liaison for the Employment Development Department. I began with the State in 1983. At that time, the Police had a Top 10 hit, George Deukmejian was in his first year as Governor and I had a full head of hair.

How long has the political football game been going?

I am guessing that our monthly game has been going on for roughly 10 years. Time flies when you’re trying to stay young by being a weekend jock.

Of all the people on your email list, who is the biggest trivia buff?

Trivia questions are part of the reminder notices sent to players. We are all nerds and seem to know trivia. Who is the biggest nerd? It depends on the issue. Joel Szabat will chime in from his duty in Iraq with the answer to a trivia question about the most obscure issues (and schedule trips from DC to Sac to play football when he can). Jim Richardson knows everything there is to know about “Dr. Strangelove” and Russian history/literature. Hugh Bower can answer any question about the singer Meat Loaf. If it is about Sondheim, William Weber’s a guru. And Evan Goldberg could tell you who made the final out in Game Six of the 1975 World Series.

Who makes better football players, Republicans or Democrats? Why?

Both parties would be better at track and field since both are always running. However, I guess I would have to say that Dems play better football because the Dems win more and Reeps only play defense.

If everyone in the Legislature showed up for football, who would you pick first? Who would get picked last?

Senator Perata would be picked first. He’s got a laser-like cannon of an arm and is a great play caller . . . . . And my boss, remember? The 121st pick would be Irwin. His huddles would result in incredibly long and convoluted play calling.

What film projects, if any, are you working on now?

I am directing, writing, producing, and starring in a movie short with the working title “Kiss”. It’s an artsy fartsy piece about the interconnectedness of people and circular nature of existence on this planet. I hope there is an audience for it somewhere besides Arcata and Berkeley. I am also choreographing and building the set for “Cabaret”, the stage musical at Davis Musical Theatre Company.

Where and when did you begin making films? Has your career in politics gotten in the way of your filmmaking career/hobby?

I started writing scripts when I was a teen-ager in Wisconsin. I am a writer first, then a director, producer, choreographer, actor, and dancer. My singing is not my strong suit — my baritone voice scares toddlers and makes puppies hide. Over the years I have been involved in more than 100 theatre productions, television commercials and programs, dance recitals, movies, movie shorts, cabaret shows and industrials. compare hotel prices Neither my career in politics nor my hobby and love of performing art gets in the way of the other. Like the dedicated staffer who gets married in October, I try to schedule performing art stuff around the legislative calendar.

What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the last ten years?

Jason Kinney wrote a spoof flick for Governor Davis that was quite amusing. However, it was not nearly as good as “Christmas in Connecticut.” CIC failed to get the recognition it so richly deserved