In the Beginning
Born in Alaska. Raised everywhere.
Michael’s story begins in Fairbanks, Alaska, in a family whose life was already in motion. Born to a career Army sergeant and his wife, he grew up learning that home could be many places. His family moved through many states before his father’s Army assignment took them to Germany for two years. By first grade, Michael had already seen life from more than one point of view.
Growing up an Army brat gave him an early education in change, perspective, and possibility. He learned that the world was bigger than the places he knew, and that a life well lived should leave something behind.
“Surely, we weren’t born into this world without the chance to change it or contribute something meaningful to it.”
Michael’s career spans acting, writing, and producing. His screen credits include roles in Zatima, House of Payne, Greenleaf, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, to name a few. He is developing original projects including In the Zone, Heirs, and Letters to My Father. His first play, The Other Side, adds the stage to his work across film and television.
His work reflects a life shaped by many places, a lasting curiosity about people, and a belief in the power of a good story. Michael is proud of what he has contributed so far, and he sees each new project as another chance to put something meaningful into the world.
- Fairbanks, AlaskaBorn to an Army sergeant and his wife.
- Many statesHome could be many places.
- GermanyA two-year tour with his father.
- Everywhere since“It’s very hard to think small.”
The Sergeant
His father taught him to dream big.
Michael’s father was a veteran of two wars who taught him to believe anything was possible. Their bond was strong, and the lessons he gave Michael would soon matter in ways neither could have known.
ALS became his father’s final battle. He died at 46. Michael was 13.
Only later did Michael understand how much his father had been preparing him: to become a man, leave his mark, and be the steady presence his mother and three sisters could lean on.
“I felt like he left me in charge, even though I was only 13 when Pops died.”
“My pops gave me the gift that keeps on giving. His words still ring in my ear: you can do anything you want if you just put your mind to it.”#BeastMode #LettersToMyFather
See Letters to My FatherThe Writer
Characters have always shown up in Michael’s imagination. He naturally wants to know who they are, what they want, and what might happen when they enter a scene. Writing is how he gives those characters shape and lets their stories unfold. Over time, it became the starting point for every project.
Having directed The Productive Lie and The Helen Lindsey Story, Michael knows what it takes to move a story from the page to the screen. That experience shapes the way he writes. He thinks about how a scene will play out, what a location can bring to it, and how the details can make a story feel real.
Some days, the words arrive faster than he can get them down. On slower days, he gives the process room to breathe.
Comedy was part of Michael’s creative life from the beginning. He spent several years performing on stage, learning how a joke told at the right moment can change the energy in a room. That instinct is still with him. The jokes that once landed on stage still come to him. These days, they often land on the page.
