Michael Badalucco, a native of Brooklyn, began his entertainment career at a young age, accompanying his father, Giuseppe, a Sicilian-born immigrant and carpenter, to movie sets. In 1963, an eight-year-old Badalucco posed for a photo during the filming of Fail Safe, starring Henry Fonda, marking the beginning of his acting career.
He went on to attend Xaverian H.S., where he participated in musicals and dramas, including A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum and Shaw's St. Joan. At the State University of New York at New Paltz, Badalucco refined his craft, performing in over 20 plays, and graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts in 1976.
In recognition of his "extraordinary success while never losing perspective on what is important in life," the State University of New York at New Paltz conferred upon him an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts in 2003.
Badalucco's early film roles included Raging Bull, directed by Martin Scorsese, and Broadway Danny Rose, directed by Woody Allen. Throughout the 1990s, he appeared in memorable supporting roles in films such as Miller's Crossing, Sleepless in Seattle, Jungle Fever, The Professional, and Mac.
His performance in One Fine Day prompted Michelle Pfeiffer to recommend him to her husband, David E. Kelley, for a role in his ABC television series The Practice. Badalucco's breakout role as Jimmy Berluti earned him the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1999.
He then portrayed serial killer David Berkowitz in Spike Lee's Summer of Sam and gangster George "Baby Face" Nelson in the Coen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Man Who Wasn't There.
