He helped British ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean learn various circus stunts for their free program at the 1983 World Championships, where they used music from the show. (Torvill and Dean won that year.)
He is the President of "The Sick Children's Trust" since 1987
He made his film debut at the tender age of 15 in the British children's film, "Soapbox Derby" for the Children's Film Foundation. He also did his very first stunt work in this film, diving off into the River Thames to rescue a boy from drowning. He later had to have his stomach pumped to get rid of the filthy water from the Thames.
He sang and performed dramatic opera as a young boy. He played Sammy the Sweepboy in "Let's Make an Opera" and then Benjamin Britten hired him to play Japeth in "Noye's Flood", based on the Biblical story of Noah's Flood in Genesis. When he returned to studying singing seriously, he took up singing operatic arias to get his voice in shape, especially for the role of the Phantom.
He still sees Ian Adam for occasional singing lessons and it was at one such lesson where Sarah Brightman heard him sing and recommended him to Andrew Lloyd Webber for the role of the Phantom.
He used to be an avid smoker, till he quit in the 1970s for health reasons. He was an avid Guinness drinker but quit that early on, also for health reasons.
He was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1987 Queen's Honours List for his services to drama.
His father, contrary to some reports, is not Arthur Dumble-Smith. Dumble-Smith was an Royal Air Force pilot killed in WWII two years before Michael was born. Born out of wedlock, he was raised by his widowed mother, Doris, and her parents, and given his mother's first husband's surname.
His mother, Doris Dumbell-Smith, died tragically when he was only 21 years old. He was closest to his Irish/Welsh grandmother, Edith Kathleen O'Keefe, who later died at 99.
His youngest daughter, Lucy (by Gabrielle Lewis), actually sang with her father on his record, "The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber", in the song "Other Pleasures/The First Man You Remember", and it was the last time they ever recorded something together.
In America, he is best known for the role of "Erik" the Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera". But in the UK and Canada and Australia, he is best known for the role of Frank Spencer from "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em" (1973). Although he loved creating the characters and they are still very close to him at heart, he has moved onto other projects and roles.
Is a consummate perfectionist, and is well known as such in the theater.
Is a fan of the old Hollywood style of films; ranging from the 1950s all the way back to the silent film era. Some of the performers he enjoys to watch on film are Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, Lana Turner, Harold Lloyd, Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy, Gene Kelly, James Stewart, Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Mary Pickford, and even Buster Keaton, with whom he worked in his first movie musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) in 1965-6. Michael played the role of Hero, while Buster Keaton played the role of Erronious, which was Buster's last film role.
Is a proud grandfather, but prefers to be known to them as "Papa".
Known to work very hard for his charities involving health care for children and teens in life threatening situations. "The Sick Children's Trust", "The Lighthouse Foundation", "National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children", among others and enjoys meeting with the people in those charities.
Loves to travel.
Made it to the Top 20 of the 100 Best Britons List.
Once treated a little girl named Vanessa, who was suffering from the final stages of leukemia, to a very rare, private performance of "Barnum" (which he had been doing at the time) as a special treat for her, even having the theater remove some of the seats to make way for her nurses, hospital bed, and family to come and watch and Michael and the entire cast performed the show just for her. Vanessa, tragically, later died of the disease and even today, he still fondly remembers her.
Originally, in the role of the Phantom, he wore contact lenses (for a greater effect of the character) on stage - one dark blue and the other opaque. But the contact lenses severely diminished his vision to such an extent he had to be led around backstage by some of the crew and needed flashlights to be shown where to step and go. But during the New York run, Lucille Ball, who came to see the show, demanded for him to take them out or he'd ruin his eyesight, which he quickly did. Upon leaving, she replied, "And I don't want to hear that you've put them back on again, once I leave".
Performed most of his own stunts on the British sitcom "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em" (1973).