Mike Portnoy

Known for: Acting
Born: April 20, 1967, Long Beach, New York, USA
Movies: 142

Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Known for his drumming prowess and technical skill, Portnoy has won 23 awards from the Modern Drummer magazine. He has co-produced the last six Dream Theater albums with guitarist John Petrucci, starting from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. From A Change of Seasons onwards, Portnoy had been writing a substantial amount of Dream Theater's lyrics. He is the second youngest person (after Neil Peart) to be inducted into the Modern Drummer's Hall of Fame (at 37 years of age).

On September 8, 2010, it was announced that Portnoy had left Dream Theater. Portnoy cited conflicting interests as the reason behind his departure.

On February 3, 2011, Portnoy announced that he has started a new project with Symphony X singer Russell Allen and guitarist Mike Orlando. Also he is involved in various projects with Neal Morse.

Upcoming Mike Portnoy Movies

Dream Theater – Live At Tokyo Sun Plaza

Release date TBA

Best-Known Movies

7.5

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

2010

8.4

Dream Theater: Metropolis 2000 - Scenes From New York

2001

7.6

Dream Theater: Live at Budokan

2004

7.6

Dream Theater: Score - 20th Anniversary World Tour

2006

7.1

G3 - Live in Tokyo

2005

6.4

Dream Theater: Images And Words - Live In Tokyo

1993

6.9

Dream Theater: Chaos in Motion

2008

7.1

Liquid Tension Experiment: Live In LA

2009

5.6

Dream Theater: The Spirit Carries On

2011

5.7

Transatlantic: Whirld Tour 2010: Live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

2010

Filmography

2025	Quarantième: Live à Paris	Drums
2025	Dream Theater - Quarantième: Live à Paris	Drums and Vocals
2025	Dream Theater - Parasomnia
2024	Phil Collins: Drummer First	Self
2024	Morsefest 2023: Testimony feat. NMB	Self
2024	Neal Morse - Cruise to the Edge: Awakening - The Movie	Self
2024	Transatlantic: Morsefest 2022 - The Absolute Whirlwind	Self
2023	Transatlantic: The Final Flight: Live At L'Olympia	Self
2023	Morsefest 2020: Sola Gratia	Self
2023	Morsefest 2020: Cover2Cover	Self
2022	Morse, Portnoy, Gillette, Hubauer & Friends: Live in Cancun 2022
2022	The Neal Morse Band: Morsefest 2021	Self
2022	The Neal Morse Band: A U.S. Tour Of Innocence And Danger	Self
2021	The Neal Morse Band: The Making of Innocence & Danger	Self
2021	Morsefest 2019	Self
2021	Neal Morse: The Making of Lifeline	Self
2021	Mike Portnoy - LTE3	Himself - Drums
2021	Liquid Tension Experiment 3
2021	The Making of the Absolute Universe by Transatlantic	Self
2021	Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe	Self
2021	Mike Portnoy: The Absolute Universe
2020	Transatlantic: Live At Sweden Rock 2014	Self
2020	Flying Colors : Third Stage - Live in London	Self
2020	Neal Morse: The Making of Sola Gratia	Self
2020	The Neal Morse Band : The Great Adventour - Live in BRNO 2019	Self
2020	Mike Portnoy : MPMMXX Drum Cam
2019	Sons of Apollo - Live with the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony - Documentary	Self
2019	Sons Of Apollo: Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony	Self
2019	The Neal Morse Band: The Great Adventure Commentary	Self
2019	The Neal Morse Band: The Adventure Begins (The Making Of The Great Adventure)	Self
2019	The Neal Morse Band – Live In Limbourg	Self
2019	Mike Portnoy: The Great Adventure
2019	Mike Portnoy: Third Degree
2018	Morsefest 2017 - Testimony of a Dream	Self
2018	Haken - Live at ProgPower USA 2016	Gong (Guest Appearance)
2018	Haken - L-1VE
2018	The Neal Morse Band : The Similitude of A Dream - Live in Tilburg 2017	Self
2018	Mike Portnoy: The Similitude of a Dream Live
2017	The Winery Dogs : Dog Years - Live in Santiago and Beyond 2013-2016	Himself - Drums
2017	Morsefest 2015: Question Mark	Self
2017	Morsefest 2015: Sola Scriptura	Self
2017	Neal Morse: Question Mark and Sola Scriptura Live	Self - Drums, Vocals
2016	The Neal Morse Band: The Making of a Dream	Self
2016	The Neal Morse Band: Alive Again	Self
2016	Metal Meltdown - Featuring Twisted Sister Live at the Hard Rock Casino Las Vegas	Himself - Drums
2016	The Neal Morse Band: Cruise to the Edge	Self
2015	Flying Colors : Second Flight - Live at The Z7	Self
2015	Building the Beast: The Making of Metal Allegiance	Self
2015	Neal Morse: The Sola Scriptura Sessions	Self
2015	Morsefest 2014: Testimony	Self
2015	Morsefest 2014: One	Self
2015	The Neal Morse Band: Live in Athens	Self
2015	The Neal Morse Band: The Making of The Grand Experiment	Self
2015	Mike Portnoy: Hot Drums
2015	Mike Portnoy: Metal Drumming
2015	Neal Morse: The Making of ?	Self
2014	Transatlantic: KaLIVEoscope	Self - Drums
2014	Flying Colors: Second Nature Video Anthology	Self
2014	Neal Morse: Morsefest - Testimony & One feat. Mike Portnoy Live	Self
2014	The Winery Dogs: [2014] Sonisphere Festival	Himself - Drums
2014	The Neal Morse Band - Live In India	Self
2014	Transatlantic: The Making of Kaleidoscope	Self
2014	The Winery Dogs - Unleashed in Japan	Himself - Drums
2014	Mike Portnoy: Drumming Nature
2014	Mike Portnoy: Kaleidodrums
2013	Flying Colors: Live in Europe	Self - Drums
2013	Portnoy Sheehan MacAlpine Sherinian: Live in Tokyo	Self - Drums
2013	The Neal Morse Band/The Flower Kings: 19 Days in Europe	Self
2013	Neal Morse: Live Momentum	Self
2013	Mike Portnoy: The Drumming Dog
2013	Mike Portnoy: Live Momentum
2012	Neal Morse: The Making of Momentum	Self
2012	Mike Portnoy - Drumerta	Himself
2012	Mike Portnoy - Drumming Colors	Himself
2012	Morse Portnoy George: The Making of Cover 2 Cover	Self
2012	The Making of Flying Colors	Self
2012	Neal Morse: One Under Construction	Self
2012	Mike Portnoy: Testimony 2: Live in Los Angeles	Himself
2012	PSMS Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine & Sherinian: InstruMENTAL Inspirations
2011	Transatlantic: More Never Is Enough	Self
2011	Stone Sour: Rock In Rio 2011	Himself - Drums
2011	Neal Morse: Testimony Two - Live in Los Angeles	Self
2011	Neal Morse: Testimony 2...For You.
2011	Neal Morse: The Making of Testimony Two	Self
2011	Dream Theater: Panem et Circensis	Drums and backing vocals
2011	Dream Theater: The Spirit Carries On	Himself
2011	Transatlantic: The Official Bootleg DVD	Self
2011	Yellow Matter Custard: One More Night in New York City	Self - Drums
2010	Transatlantic: Whirld Tour 2010: Live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London	Self
2010	Mike Portnoy on the “Art Of Drumming” with Terry Bozzio
2010	Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage	Self
2010	Mike Portnoy - Whirlwind Drumming	Himself
2009	Transatlantic: The Making of the Whirlwind	Self
2009	Dream Theater - Santiago, Chile 12/6/05	Himself
2009	Mike Portnoy - Black Clouds and Silver Drumming	Himself
2009	Liquid Tension Experiment: Live In LA	Himself - Drums
2009	Liquid Tension Experiment: Live In NYC
2008	Mike Portnoy - Score
2008	Dream Theater: Chaos in Motion	Himself - Drums
2008	Neal Morse: Live at 3RP	Self
2008	Liquid Tension Experiment - LTE Live 2008
2007	Neal Morse: The Making of Testimony	Self
2007	Dream Theater: Chaos in Progress: The Making of Systematic Chaos	Drums / Vocals
2007	Mike Portnoy - sysDRUMatic Chaos	Himself
2007	Mike Portnoy - In Constant Motion	Himself - Drums
2007	Dream Theater: Bucharest, Romania	Himself
2006	Dream Theater: Score - 20th Anniversary World Tour	Himself - Drums
2006	Dream Theater: The Score So Far...	Himself
2006	Amazing Journey: One Night in New York City	Himself - Drums
2006	Transatlantic - Building the Bridge / Live in America	Self
2006	Dream Theater: Romavarium	Self - Drums
2006	Hammer of the Gods: Two Nights in North America	Himself - Drums
2005	G3 - Live in Tokyo	Drums
2005	Cygnus and the Sea Monsters: One Night in Chicago	Himself - Drums
2005	Mike Portnoy - Live at Budokan	Himself
2005	Mike Portnoy - Drumavarium
2005	Dream Theater: A Walk Beside the Band	Himself - Drums
2005	Dream Theater: Dark Side of the Moon	Drums and Vcoals
2004	Dream Theater: Live at Budokan	Himself - Drums
2004	Dream Theater: Riding the Train of Thought	Self
2004	Mike Portnoy: Progressive Drum Concepts
2004	Dream Theater: When Dream and Day Reunite	Drums
2004	Neal Morse: Testimony Live	Self
2004	Mike Portnoy - Drums of Thought	Himself
2003	Yellow Matter Custard: One Night in New York City	Self - Drums
2003	Modern Drummer Festival Weekend 2003	Self
2003	Transatlantic - Live in Europe	Self - Drums, Backing Vocals
2002	Dream Theater: [2002] Rotterdamned
2002	Mike Portnoy - Ten Degrees of Turbulent Drumming	Himself
2002	Mike Portnoy - Drums Across Forever	Himself
2001	Mike Portnoy - Liquid Drum Theater	Himself - Drums
2001	Dream Theater: Metropolis 2000 - Scenes From New York	Himself - Drums
2000	Transatlantic: The Making of SMPTe	Self
1998	Dream Theater: 5 Years in a Livetime	Himself
1994	Dream Theater: The Rudess Experiment	Himself - Drums
1993	Dream Theater: Images And Words - Live In Tokyo	Himself - Drums

Directing, Writing & Producing

2025	Dream Theater - Quarantième: Live à Paris	Writer
2019	Sons of Apollo - Live with the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony - Documentary	Director
2007	Dream Theater: Chaos in Progress: The Making of Systematic Chaos	Director
2006	Dream Theater: Score - 20th Anniversary World Tour	Director, Writer
2004	Dream Theater: Live at Budokan	Director
2001	Dream Theater: Metropolis 2000 - Scenes From New York	Director

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