Fled from Berlin with his family in 1939.

He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 2001 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.

When he won his first Oscar as Best Director for The Graduate (1967), the statuette was presented to him by actress Leslie Caron.

Attended the University of Chicago.

Father of Daisy (born in 1964), Max Nichols (born in 1974) and Jenny Nichols (born in 1977).

Son Max is married to ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols.

Has won seven Tony Awards: as Best Director (Dramatic), in 1964 for "Barefoot in the Park," in 1965 for "Luv" and "The Odd Couple," in 1968 for "Plaza Suite," and in 1972 for "The Prisoner of Second Avenue;" as Best Director (Play) in 1984 for Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing," Best Director (Musical) in 2005 for "Spamalot;" and in 1977 as one of the producers of Best Musical winner "Annie." He has also been Tony-nominated seven other times: in 1967 as Best Director (Musical) for "The Apple Tree," in 1974 as Best Director (Dramatic) for "Uncle Vanya;" in 1977, twice as Best Director (Play), for "Comedians" and for David Rabe's "Streamers;" in 1978, as Best Director (Play) and as one of the producers of Best Play nominee "The Gin Game;" and in 2003 as co-producer of Special Theatrical Event nominee "The Play That I Wrote."

Two of his films are on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All time. They are Working Girl (1988) at #87 and Silkwood (1983) at #66.

Became a naturalized US citizen in 1944.

When he won two Emmys in 2001, he joined an elite circle of peers who have won at least one of every major show business award (Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Grammy). Some of the other performers to have done this includes Rita Moreno and Mel Brooks. There are currently nine people who have won all four awards in standard competitive categories.

Directed 17 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances:Elizabeth Taylor, Sandy Dennis,Richard Burton, George Segal,Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft,Katharine Ross, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep,Cher, Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver,Joan Cusack, Kathy Bates, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Taylor and Dennis won Oscars for their performances in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).

Directed Postcards from the Edge (1990), which was written by Carrie Fisher and based on her relationship with her real-life mother, Debbie Reynolds. He later directed Closer (2004/I), with featured Fisher's on-screen Star Wars mother, Natalie Portman.

Was interested to direct First Blood (1982) with Dustin Hoffman as John Rambo.

Lost much of his body hair in early childhood due to a bad batch of whooping cough vaccine.

Since the early 1960s, he has been a well-renowned figure among Arabian Horse fans - breeder of over 400 registered Arabians and has bred and owned many US National Champion horses.

Worked at the Howard Johnson's restaurant in New York's Times Square when he was 17 years old.

Formed a comedy team with Elaine May, appearing in nightclubs, on radio and television and most notably at President Jimmy Carter's inauguration gala.

One of Directors Guild of America annual Honorees, 2000.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 704-710. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.

Back in Berlin, Mike's father was part of a young intellectual circle that included Russian immigrants such as Vladimir Nabokov's sister and Boris Pasternak's parents.

One of 5 recipients of the 2003 Kennedy Center Honors; other recipients were James Brown, Carol Burnett, Loretta Lynn and Itzhak Perlman.

Teaches occasionally at The New Actor's Workship in New York City.

Received the first $1,000,000 director salary for Catch-22 (1970).

According to Jack Nicholson's April 1972 Playboy Magazine interview, Nichols asked Nicholson and other cast members not to smoke marijuana while filming Carnal Knowledge (1971) on location in Vancouver, British Columbia, where cannabis was easily available. Nichols thought that it dulled an actor's performance.