Horner attended San Francisco State University and UCLA, and graduated from Sonoma State University. He pursued acting, theater and dance prior to his porn career, but he became more involved after his exposure to adult films. Mike started out making only around $40–100 a movie. While only a sideline job at first, hardcore finally became Mike's primary income in 1983. He made the move to Southern California in 1991 to make porn his primary objective. He started directing movies in 1993, but he found mixed success, as porn had made the move to gonzo type movies, different from his artistic tastes. He has directed Tangled (1993, Pleasure Prod.), Dreams of Desires (owned by him but not legally available), Taoist Sexuality (1999, Adam & Eve), and 13 other feature videos. He is a member of the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame.