Michael Austin, a renowned director of episodic television, was born in London and received his education at Brighton College. As an athletic individual, Austin started his career in the entertainment industry as a stuntman, earning his first screen credit as Martin Landau's stunt double in the iconic Mount Rushmore scene from Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" in 1959.
In addition to his stunt work, Austin also served as a stunt coordinator, beginning to direct action sequences in the early 1960s. He occasionally appeared on screen as a supporting player in small roles. From 1968 onwards, Austin primarily worked as a full-fledged director, with occasional forays into script writing and production.
Notably, Austin's background in stunt work influenced his preference for action/fight scenes, which featured prominently throughout his work on numerous iconic television series, including "The Avengers" (1961),"The Saint" (1962),"Department S" (1969),"Space: 1999" (1975),and "The Professionals" (1977).
Austin held a feudal hereditary Irish title as Baron DeVere-Austin of Delvin. After experiencing divorce twice, he remarried in 1984 to English novelist Wendy DeVere-Knight-Wilton. The couple relocated from Britain to a rural estate in Virginia in the 1980s, where Austin continued working as a TV director until 1999. In addition to his directing work, Austin also lectured on film and television at institutions such as UCLA and the London Film School.
In his later years, Austin published several mystery and espionage-themed novels, further solidifying his legacy in the world of television and literature.
