Michel is a first-generation American born to parents who miraculously escaped the Holocaust, a traumatic event that had a profound impact on their lives. His parents, Nadine Gill (née Racine) and James Vladimir Gill, were part of the Great Diaspora, which began in Moscow, Odessa, and Kiev. Nadine currently resides in New York, while James lived in Switzerland until his passing in 1995. Despite his experiences, James was more concerned about surviving the aftermath of the Holocaust rather than dwelling on the traumatic events of the 1930s and 1940s.
Michel has three sisters, Nina, Kitty, and Natasha, and often wonders why he wasn't named Andre. His sisters are scattered across the globe, and as far as he knows, they have no desire to return to their ancestral homeland in Moscow. Michel's early life was marked by the influence of multiple languages, as his first language was French, followed by English, and later he studied Latin, Greek, German, Italian, and Russian. This linguistic versatility has allowed him to converse about everyday topics, such as mice under tables, in various parts of the world.
Michel began his acting career at the tender age of five when his expected brother turned out to be a third sister. Despite the initial disappointment, he pretended to be ecstatic. Since then, he has honed his craft by pretending to feel a wide range of emotions in front of audiences worldwide.
