Michael was born in London, England, to Jamaican parents, and later raised in Queens, New York. He attended Northampton College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he studied journalism and acting. As the college's first Artist-in-Residence, he played the title role of "Othello" in the 2003 production.
Michael was the subject of Anna Deavere Smith's "Skipping Rope," which was part of her evening of "journalistic portraits and sketches" at Carnegie Hall in New York City. After retiring from boxing in 1994, he enrolled in Northampton College, where he contributed articles to the campus newspaper on various subjects, including the murder of Tupac Shakur and Evander Holyfield's knockout victory over Mike Tyson.
His essay "Anatomy of a Knockout" was featured in "Bert Sugar's Fight Game," which led to an opportunity to audition for and win the role of Charles "Sonny" Liston in Michael Mann's film "Ali" (2001). Michael was also the captain of the US National Boxing team that competed in the inaugural Moscow Goodwill Games and the 1987 Pan Am Games.
In addition to his role in "Ali," Michael served as the chief sparring partner and assistant trainer for Will Smith in his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Muhammad Ali. He has also instructed several notable individuals, including Terence Blanchard, Damon Dash, Heavy D, Paul Schulze, Harold Perrineau, and Anna Deavere Smith, on the virtues and benefits of being "fighting fit."
Michael studied acting with the late Tina Satin. Four months after scoring a shocking first-round knockout over Tommy Morrison, he was himself knocked out in seven rounds in his last fight in March 1994, which left him in a coma for 96 hours.
In reflecting on the match that resulted in his coma, Michael said, "I nearly paid the ultimate price for a moment that allowed me to briefly realize my full potential as a boxer. If getting dismantled to the point of near death in my last fight was the price I had to pay for a victory over Tommy Morrison, I'll never question the price of success."
