Michael, a talented stage actor, has had a distinguished career, earning a 2011 OBIE Award and a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for his powerful performance in Lisa Kron's "In the Wake" at The Public Theater in New York City.
Born and raised in Rocky River, Ohio, Michael's passion for acting was ignited at a young age. He made his stage debut at just 13 years old, playing the iconic role of "Gandalf" in a stage adaptation of "The Hobbit". He further honed his craft at the Beck Center in Lakewood, Ohio, before graduating from high school and relocating to New York.
Michael then pursued his acting dreams at Juilliard, studying from 1995-1999. On stage, he has shared the spotlight with renowned actors such as David Hyde Pierce and Rosie Perez in the Manhattan Theater Club production of "Close Up Space" at New York City Center, and with America Ferrera in the revival of Terence McNally's "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" at Second Stage.
His impressive list of New York credits includes performances at esteemed theaters such as Playwrights Horizons, the Roundabout Theatre Company, Primary Stages, New York Theater Workshop, The Atlantic Theater Company, and numerous productions at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, where he played the lead role of "KJ" in Annie Baker's play "The Aliens", which Charles Isherwood, of the New York Times, named the best play of 2010.
Michael has also made a significant impact in regional theater, appearing in productions at the Williamstown Theater Festival, The Yale Repertory Theatre, and the Guthrie Theater, among others.
Internationally, he has performed in Adam Rapp's "Finer Noble Gases" at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, earning a Fringe First Award, and in London at the Bush Theatre.
A graduate of the Juilliard School's Drama Division (Group 28),Michael resides in Brooklyn with his wife, Emily Simoness. He is deeply involved with his wife's non-profit organization, SPACE on Ryder Farm.
