Mike Genovese, a seasoned character actor, has had a distinguished career spanning multiple decades. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, he began teaching acting at Webster College from 1969 to 1973, concurrently starting his professional acting career with the Lorreto Hilton Repertory Theatre, now known as the St. Louis Repertory Theatre.
During his time in Washington, D.C., Genovese met his future and present wife, the talented TV and film actress Ellen Crawford. He continued his career after relocating to Chicago and later Los Angeles.
Throughout his extensive career, Genovese has appeared in numerous films, including two Richard Pryor-starring vehicles: "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling" (1986) and "Harlem Knights," which also featured Eddie Murphy, Redd Foxx, and Della Reese. He has also made guest appearances on various TV series, such as "The Dukes of Hazzard," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Family Matters," "NYPD Blue," "Quantum Leap," "Arli$$," "ER," "Chicago Hope," and "JAG," to name a few.
Notably, Genovese had a recurring role as Officer Al Grabarsky on the long-running medical drama "ER," where he co-starred with his real-life wife, Ellen Crawford, who played Nurse Lydia Wright, his character's girlfriend. He appeared in twelve episodes of the series from 1994 to 2000.
In 1979, Genovese delivered a notable performance as Philip Marlowe in Chicago's Organic Theater's adaptation of Raymond Chandler's "The Little Sister," directed by Stuart Gordon. In 2005, he appeared as Rev. Tollhouse in "The Book of Liz" play by Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris at the 2nd Stage Theatre in Hollywood.
