Mike Portnoy
Acting • Born 1967-04-20
Biography
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.
Filmography
137 credits
Dream Theater: Live at Budokan
Movie • 2004
Himself - Drums
Transatlantic: The Final Flight: Live At L'Olympia
Movie • 2023
Self
Liquid Tension Experiment 3
Movie • 2021
Dream Theater: Score - 20th Anniversary World Tour
Movie • 2006
Himself - Drums
Dream Theater: Images And Words - Live In Tokyo
Movie • 1993
Himself - Drums
Dream Theater: Metropolis 2000 - Scenes From New York
Movie • 2001
Himself - Drums
Dream Theater – Live At Tokyo Sun Plaza
Movie
Sons of Apollo - Live with the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony - Documentary
Movie • 2019
Self
Haken - Live at ProgPower USA 2016
Movie • 2018
Gong (Guest Appearance)
Dream Theater: Riding the Train of Thought
Movie • 2004
Self
Mike Portnoy - In Constant Motion
Movie • 2007
Himself - Drums
Mike Portnoy - Liquid Drum Theater
Movie • 2001
Himself - Drums
Dream Theater: Chaos in Motion
Movie • 2008
Himself - Drums
Transatlantic: More Never Is Enough
Movie • 2011
Self
Dream Theater: Bucharest, Romania
Movie • 2007
Himself
Neal Morse: The Making of Momentum
Movie • 2012
Self
Neal Morse: The Making of Sola Gratia
Movie • 2020
Self
The Making of Flying Colors
Movie • 2012
Self
Mike Portnoy: Testimony 2: Live in Los Angeles
Movie • 2012
Himself
Mike Portnoy - Live at Budokan
Movie • 2005
Himself
Mike Portnoy - Drumerta
Movie • 2012
Himself
Mike Portnoy - Drumming Colors
Movie • 2012
Himself
Mike Portnoy - Drums of Thought
Movie • 2004
Himself
Mike Portnoy - sysDRUMatic Chaos
Movie • 2007
Himself
Mike Portnoy - Whirlwind Drumming
Movie • 2010
Himself
Yellow Matter Custard: One More Night in New York City
Movie • 2011
Self - Drums
Mike Portnoy - Black Clouds and Silver Drumming
Movie • 2009
Himself
Mike Portnoy - Drums Across Forever
Movie • 2002
Himself
Mike Portnoy - Ten Degrees of Turbulent Drumming
Movie • 2002
Himself
Mike Portnoy - Drumavarium
Movie • 2005
Neal Morse: Live Momentum
Movie • 2013
Self
Portnoy Sheehan MacAlpine Sherinian: Live in Tokyo
Movie • 2013
Self - Drums
Mike Portnoy: The Great Adventure
Movie • 2019
Mike Portnoy: The Absolute Universe
Movie • 2021
Mike Portnoy: The Similitude of a Dream Live
Movie • 2018
Mike Portnoy: Third Degree
Movie • 2019
Mike Portnoy: The Drumming Dog
Movie • 2013
Mike Portnoy: Drumming Nature
Movie • 2014
Mike Portnoy: Hot Drums
Movie • 2015
Mike Portnoy: Kaleidodrums
Movie • 2014
Mike Portnoy: Metal Drumming
Movie • 2015
Mike Portnoy: Live Momentum
Movie • 2013
The Neal Morse Band – Live In Limbourg
Movie • 2019
Self
PSMS Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine & Sherinian: InstruMENTAL Inspirations
Movie • 2012
The Neal Morse Band: A U.S. Tour Of Innocence And Danger
Movie • 2022
Self
Transatlantic: The Official Bootleg DVD
Movie • 2011
Self
Transatlantic: The Making of Kaleidoscope
Movie • 2014
Self
The Neal Morse Band - Live In India
Movie • 2014
Self
Neal Morse: The Making of Testimony Two
Movie • 2011
Self
Neal Morse: The Making of Lifeline
Movie • 2021
Self
Modern Drummer Festival Weekend 2003
Movie • 2003
Self
The Neal Morse Band: The Great Adventure Commentary
Movie • 2019
Self
Flying Colors: Second Nature Video Anthology
Movie • 2014
Self
Transatlantic: The Making of SMPTe
Movie • 2000
Self
Morse Portnoy George: The Making of Cover 2 Cover
Movie • 2012
Self
The Neal Morse Band: The Making of Innocence & Danger
Movie • 2021
Self
Neal Morse: One Under Construction
Movie • 2012
Self
Neal Morse: The Making of ?
Movie • 2015
Self
Neal Morse: The Sola Scriptura Sessions
Movie • 2015
Self
Neal Morse: The Making of Testimony
Movie • 2007
Self
The Neal Morse Band: The Making of The Grand Experiment
Movie • 2015
Self
The Neal Morse Band: The Adventure Begins (The Making Of The Great Adventure)
Movie • 2019
Self
The Neal Morse Band: The Making of a Dream
Movie • 2016
Self
Neal Morse: Live at 3RP
Movie • 2008
Self
The Neal Morse Band: Live in Athens
Movie • 2015
Self
The Neal Morse Band/The Flower Kings: 19 Days in Europe
Movie • 2013
Self
The Neal Morse Band: Cruise to the Edge
Movie • 2016
Self
Mike Portnoy on the “Art Of Drumming” with Terry Bozzio
Movie • 2010
Morsefest 2020: Sola Gratia
Movie • 2023
Self
Morsefest 2020: Cover2Cover
Movie • 2023
Self
Transatlantic: Live At Sweden Rock 2014
Movie • 2020
Self
Transatlantic: Whirld Tour 2010: Live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
Movie • 2010
Self
Transatlantic - Building the Bridge / Live in America
Movie • 2006
Self
Transatlantic: The Making of the Whirlwind
Movie • 2009
Self
Haken - L-1VE
Movie • 2018
The Neal Morse Band: Morsefest 2021
Movie • 2022
Self
Morsefest 2019
Movie • 2021
Self
Dream Theater: When Dream and Day Reunite
Movie • 2004
Drums
Transatlantic - Live in Europe
Movie • 2003
Self - Drums, Backing Vocals
Flying Colors: Live in Europe
Movie • 2013
Self - Drums
G3 - Live in Tokyo
Movie • 2005
Drums
Neal Morse: Testimony Two - Live in Los Angeles
Movie • 2011
Self
Transatlantic: KaLIVEoscope
Movie • 2014
Self - Drums
Liquid Tension Experiment - LTE Live 2008
Movie • 2008
Morsefest 2014: Testimony
Movie • 2015
Self
Morsefest 2014: One
Movie • 2015
Self
Neal Morse: Morsefest - Testimony & One feat. Mike Portnoy Live
Movie • 2014
Self
Transatlantic: Morsefest 2022 - The Absolute Whirlwind
Movie • 2024
Self
Flying Colors : Second Flight - Live at The Z7
Movie • 2015
Self
Neal Morse - Cruise to the Edge: Awakening - The Movie
Movie • 2024
Self
Dream Theater: The Rudess Experiment
Movie • 1994
Himself - Drums
The Winery Dogs: [2014] Sonisphere Festival
Movie • 2014
Himself - Drums
The Winery Dogs - Unleashed in Japan
Movie • 2014
Himself - Drums
Metal Meltdown - Featuring Twisted Sister Live at the Hard Rock Casino Las Vegas
Movie • 2016
Himself - Drums
The Neal Morse Band: Alive Again
Movie • 2016
Self
Cygnus and the Sea Monsters: One Night in Chicago
Movie • 2005
Himself - Drums
Stone Sour: Rock In Rio 2011
Movie • 2011
Himself - Drums
Morsefest 2015: Question Mark
Movie • 2017
Self
Morsefest 2015: Sola Scriptura
Movie • 2017
Self
Neal Morse: Question Mark and Sola Scriptura Live
Movie • 2017
Self - Drums, Vocals
Yellow Matter Custard: One Night in New York City
Movie • 2003
Self - Drums
Amazing Journey: One Night in New York City
Movie • 2006
Himself - Drums
Mike Portnoy - Score
Movie • 2008
Mike Portnoy: Progressive Drum Concepts
Movie • 2004
Dream Theater: A Walk Beside the Band
Movie • 2005
Himself - Drums
The Winery Dogs : Dog Years - Live in Santiago and Beyond 2013-2016
Movie • 2017
Himself - Drums
Liquid Tension Experiment: Live In LA
Movie • 2009
Himself - Drums
Hammer of the Gods: Two Nights in North America
Movie • 2006
Himself - Drums
The Neal Morse Band : The Similitude of A Dream - Live in Tilburg 2017
Movie • 2018
Self
Morsefest 2017 - Testimony of a Dream
Movie • 2018
Self
Liquid Tension Experiment: Live In NYC
Movie • 2009
Neal Morse: Testimony Live
Movie • 2004
Self
Dream Theater: The Spirit Carries On
Movie • 2011
Himself
Dream Theater: The Score So Far...
Movie • 2006
Himself
Dream Theater - Santiago, Chile 12/6/05
Movie • 2009
Himself
Sons Of Apollo: Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony
Movie • 2019
Self
Dream Theater: [2002] Rotterdamned
Movie • 2002
Dream Theater: Chaos in Progress: The Making of Systematic Chaos
Movie • 2007
Drums / Vocals
The Neal Morse Band : The Great Adventour - Live in BRNO 2019
Movie • 2020
Self
Mike Portnoy : MPMMXX Drum Cam
Movie • 2020
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
Movie • 2010
Self
Flying Colors : Third Stage - Live in London
Movie • 2020
Self
Dream Theater: Dark Side of the Moon
Movie • 2005
Drums and Vcoals
The Making of the Absolute Universe by Transatlantic
Movie • 2021
Self
Dream Theater: Romavarium
Movie • 2006
Self - Drums
Mike Portnoy - LTE3
Movie • 2021
Himself - Drums
Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe
Movie • 2021
Self
Morsefest 2023: Testimony feat. NMB
Movie • 2024
Self
Dream Theater: 5 Years in a Livetime
Movie • 1998
Himself
Building the Beast: The Making of Metal Allegiance
Movie • 2015
Self
Dream Theater - Parasomnia
Movie • 2025
Quarantième: Live à Paris
Movie • 2025
Drums
Dream Theater: Panem et Circensis
Movie • 2011
Drums and backing vocals
Neal Morse: Testimony 2...For You.
Movie • 2011
Phil Collins: Drummer First
Movie • 2024
Self
Dream Theater - Quarantième: Live à Paris
Movie • 2025
Drums and Vocals
That Metal Show
TV • 2008