Biografia

One of Michael's closest friends was actor River Phoenix. When River died, aged just 23 in late October 1993, Michael called his young friend's sudden passing "the most shattering experience of my life". He dedicated R.E.M.'s 1994 album, "Monster", to River. The dedication ("For River") can be seen in the album's fold-out sleeve.

Godfather of Frances Bean Cobain.

Was once considered for the role of John Doe in Seven - Os Sete Crimes Capitais (1995).

Collects aeroplane boarding passes as a memento of "a place that doesn't exist". He has 500-600 of them.

Michael is a keen photographer and often contributes his pictures to the artwork of R.E.M.'s albums, (notably the covers of the albums "New Adventures In Hi-Fi" and "Reveal").

Radiohead are so good they scare me.

We love Peter Gabriel - great minds think alike.

I've been to places where people my age had never voted in a democratic election. To go to the voting poll with someone in the former Czechoslovakia, a grown man, and watch him cast his vote for the first time brings tears to your eyes. The right to vote is a privilege I want to remind people of.

I wouldn't survive ten minutes on American Idol (American Idol (2002)).

[on punk rock] I found something that was secret; it was dangerous and it was exciting.