Michael Pate (born February 26, 1920 in Drummoyne, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian actor and writer.

In 1938, he became a writer and broadcaster for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, collaborating with George Ivan Smith on Youth Speaks. For the remainder of the 1930s he worked primarily in radio drama. He also published theatrical and literary criticism. He enjoyed brief success as an author of short stories, publishing works in Australia and the United States.

During World War II, Pate served in the Australian Army in the South West Pacific Area. He was transferred to the 1st Australian Army Amenities Entertainment Unit, known as "The Islanders", entertaining Australian troops in various combat areas.

After the war, Pate returned to radio, appearing in many plays and serials. Between 1946 and 1950 he began breaking into films. In 1949 he appeared in his first leading role in Sons of Matthew. In 1950 he appeared in Bitter Springs with Tommy Trinder and Chips Rafferty.

Also in 1950, Pate adapted, produced, and directed two plays — Dark of the Moon and Bonaventure. Later that year he traveled to the United States to appear in a film adaptation of Bonaventure for Universal Pictures. This was released in 1951 as Thunder on the Hill, starring Claudette Colbert and Ann Blyth. In 1956 he appeared in the film The Court Jester.

Pate spent most of the 1950s in the United States, appearing in over three hundred TV shows. Most notable among these was a 1953 Climax! live production of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, in which Pate played the role of "Clarence Leiter" (Instead of Felix, in the credits), opposite Barry Nelson's "Jimmy Bond".

During his time in the United States, Pate became an acting instructor and lecturer, and wrote many screenplays and teleplays for the major American networks. In 1959, he returned briefly to Australia, where he starred in the TV program The Shell Hour. He returned to the U.S. for another eight years, during which he enjoyed a successful career as a television character actor, appearing repeatedly on such programs as Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Branded, The Virginian, Batman, Mission: Impossible ("Trek"), The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Get Smart, Rawhide ("Incident of the Power and the Plow"), and Wagon Train.

In 1968, Pate returned to Australia and became a television producer, winning two Logie Awards while working at the Seven Network. In 1970, he published a textbook on acting, The Film Actor. From 1971 to 1975 he starred as Det. Sgt. Vic Maddern in Matlock Police. In 1977 he wrote and produced The Mango Tree, starring his son Christopher.

Pate continued working in theatre in both Sydney and Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. In 1979, he adapted the screenplay for Tim from the novel by Colleen McCullough. The film would star Mel Gibson and Piper Laurie. For his adaptation, Pate won the Best Screenplay Award from the Australian Writers Guild.

During the early 1980s Pate and his son Christopher collaborated in a stage production of Mass Appeal. This was a success, and closed with a season at the Sydney Opera House.

Pate retired in 2001. He is married to Felippa Rock, daughter of American film producer Joe Rock.

The future movie bad man was born in Drummoyne, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, and got his career start as an interviewer on the government's radio station. Pate also worked on the Australian stage and in Down Under movies before relocating to th e U.S. in the early 1950s to appear in Universal's "Thunder on the Hill, " the film version of a Charlotte Hastings play ("Bonaventure") in which he had appeared. Pate acted in many American films and TV series, then returned to Australia in the late '60s and worked (again) in that country's film industry; he co-starred in his own Aussie TV series, "Matlock Police". Pate also began working behind the camera; one of his best-known writing-producing-directing credits is "Tim", the story of the relationship between an older woman (Piper Laurie) and a retarded young man (Mel Gibson).

Michael Pate began his career in 1938 writing and broadcasting a program called 'Youth Speaks' for ABC Radio with George Ivan Smith. He also wrote for newspapers and magazines and began writing as a book and theatre critic. His book of short stories was published in Australia and the United States. Michael was one of the original members of 'The Youth Radio' at Sydney's 2GB radio station. He starred in 1939 in 'Lux Radio Theatre' and played at The Minerva Theatre and Theatre Royal. He was cast by Charles Chauvel to perform in 'Forty Thousand Horsemen'. When World War II broke, he served in the Australian Army in the SWPA unit. He was later seconded to the 1st Australian Army Amenities Entertainment Unit - The Islanders - in various combat areas. Between 1946-1950, Michael starred in many radio plays and serials. He also began moving into the area of films with parts in Sons of Matthew (1949) and Bitter Springs (1950). He produced, wrote, directed and adapted plays for the theatre and radio. In 1950 Michael had two plays in Australia - 'Dark of the Moon' and 'Bonaventure'. In 1950 Michael went to the United States to do a film version of his play Bonaventure for Universal Pictures. It was released as Thunder on the Hill (1951) starring Claudette Colbert. Subsequently, he appeared in over 50 feature films, guest starred in over 300 TV shows and appeared in numerous live and taped shows for most major US networks. While in the US, he played in a version of his Lux Radio Theatre which was hosted by 'Cecil B. De Mille'. He began teaching acting and lectured on acting for film. He continued writing and wrote numerous screenplays and teleplays for the major networks. In the theatre, he played 2 seasons in 'Medea' opposite Dame Judith Anderson. In 1959, after 9 years in the US, he returned home to Australia to feature in an Australian TV series - 'The Shell Hour'. After which he returned to the US again for another 9 years. In 1968, he returned home to Australia as associate producer for the Columbia Pictures film of Norman Lindsay's Age of Consent (1969). Michael's son Chris worked on the second unit of the film. Between 1958-69, he worked as producer on various shows for all 3 commercial networks. His 'Maggie' show won two Gold Logies for the Seven Network. He produced shows in all areas - musicals, police series, pilots and variety shows including the first of many UNICEF variety shows. In 1970 his textbook 'The Film Actor' was published and he began starring in the Australian police TV series "Matlock Police" (1971). He played in this role for 4 years and was rewarded with a Penguin Award for Best Actor. In 1977 he wrote and produced Mango Tree, The (1977). This film is of note because it featured a 25 year old Christopher Pate, Michael's son. The following year he was surprised to find himself the recipient of the Nine Networks 'This Is Your Life'. He continued to keep his hand in theatre with seasons of 'The Human Voice' and 'The Bear' in both Melbourne and Sydney. He began writing the script for Tim (1979), based on the novel of the same name by Colleen McCullough. A film which would not begin production until the following year, but which would garner him a 'Best Screenplay Award' from the Australian Writers Guild. A part in 'Tim' also went to son Christopher. Between 1982-84 Michael joined forces again with his son Chris to co-star together on stage in 'Mass Appeal'. The play was very successful and resulted in a tour of Australia, culminating in a season at the Sydney Opera House.