Michael was born in Huntington, West Virginia, where his passion for writing and acting began to take shape from a young age. As a child, he would often perform on stage, honing his craft and developing his unique ability to truthfully portray characters beyond his years. His early experiences as an actor were marked by a series of performances at Marshall University in 1970, a year that would have a profound impact on his life.
It was during his time at Marshall University that Michael lost a dear friend in a tragic airplane crash, an event that would later be portrayed in the Warner Bros. film "We Are Marshall". Despite this setback, Michael's talent and dedication to his craft led to years of successful performances in regional and summer theatre, eventually catching the eye of Oscar-winning producer and actor John Houseman.
Houseman directed Michael in his first screen role in "The Paper Chase", a film that would set the stage for a long and illustrious career in Hollywood. Michael's ability to bring characters to life with depth and nuance led to a string of award-nominated and winning roles, including his portrayals of silent star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Big Daddy in Tennessee Williams' "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof", and more recently, Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's "Black Coffee" and Mellersh Wilton in "Enchanted April".
Throughout his career, Michael has been fortunate to have had the guidance and mentorship of some of the greatest acting teachers and mentors of all time, including Oscar nominees and winners Geraldine Page, Shirley Knight, and the legendary Kim Stanley, with whom he also became close friends during her final years in Hollywood.
In addition to his work in film and television, Michael has also had a successful career in comedy, serving as one of Bob Hope's television comedy ensemble players from 1985-1990. During this time, he appeared alongside some of the greatest comedians of all time, including Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Phyllis Diller, Tony Randall, Danny Thomas, George Burns, and Mr. Hope himself.
Throughout his career, Michael has continued to write, and has had two of his own plays produced and successfully received in Hollywood. He has also written a radio script for NPR, based on his own experiences, called "Appalachian Moon". Michael's life has also been loosely used as the subject of a book by author Ray Hobbs, called "Unforgettable", a fictional account of a chameleon-like actor who assumes the life of each character he plays, and in doing so, lives several lifetimes.
Today, Michael resides in Hollywood, where he spends his time between roles writing plays and occasionally teaching acting classes. He is a member of sci-fi author Ray Bradbury's Pandemonium Theatre Company, where he has enjoyed many highly acclaimed stage performances in Ray's productions.
