- Michael Urie
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Michael Urie 
Born Michael Lorenzo Urie
August 8, 1980
Dallas, Texas, U.S.Occupation Actor, television presenter Years active 1993-present Michael Lorenzo Urie (born August 8, 1980) is an American actor, television producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Marc St. James on the ABC dramedy series Ugly Betty.
Contents
Personal life
In June 2009 Urie referred to himself as "a member of the LGBT community" on his website.[1] While Urie's sexuality has long been speculated, his February 2010 interview in The Advocate revealed that he identifies as "queer", though, unlike other men, it never felt wrong when he was with women. In an interview with NPR Urie describes what it's like to grow up gay. [2]
As in Ugly Betty, Urie is best friends with fellow cast member Becki Newton. Both hosted the official show podcast.
He is of partly Scottish[3] and partly Italian[4] descent.
Career
Michael Urie graduated from Vines High School and Plano Senior High School. Urie, while still a student at Juilliard performed in the world premiere of Love and Happiness (2001) at the Consolati Performing Arts Center, starring as a sixteen-year-old trying to get rid of his mother's boyfriend.[5] In addition to this, he appeared in student productions of Sylvia (1998) and Locked Away (1999) at Quad C Theatre.[citation needed]
He also was the recipient of the 2002 John Houseman Prize for Excellence in Classical Theatre from the Juilliard School and his classical credits include Shakespeare, Jacobean drama, and commedia dell'arte.[6]
Urie played the central character in the stage play WTC View as well as in the film adaptation. He is currently finishing a short documentary film, Two Down that centers on high school speech and debate tournaments, for Frontal Lobe Productions.[citation needed]
He is on the board of Plum Productions and serves as its casting director. With the same company he has produced and appeared in Prachtoberfest and lowbrow (and a little bit tacky). As a freelance producer, he has worked on Like The Mountains and The Fantasticks (Four Players Theatre). He also directed the latter production. His first time directing The Fantasticks was as a high school student at Plano Senior High.[citation needed]
The character of "Marc St. James" on Ugly Betty was not initially intended as recurring; thus Urie was billed in the credits as a guest star. As originally conceived, Wilhelmina Slater was to have a different assistant in each episode.[7] However, Vanessa Williams loved their chemistry, and Michael was signed on as a full time regular. He and the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2007 and 2008.[8] The role earned Urie a Ewwy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2009.
Patti LuPone has appeared with Urie to play Marc's mother in one episode.[9]
During the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike Urie hosted TLC's reality-based series "Miss America Reality Check." The program followed the contestants participating in the 2008 Miss America Pageant.[10]
Urie returns often to his theater roots, including his recent direction of a one-night celebrity performed staging of Howard Ashman's unproduced musical "Dreamstuff". The musical was re-imagined by Howard's partners Marsha Malamet and Dennis Green and performed one night only at Los Angeles' Hayworth Theatre as part of the Bruno Kirby celebrity reading series. Eden Espinosa starred in the show along with Fred Willard, Vicki Lewis, David Blue and Luke Macfarlane. He has also been on "Live With Regis and Kelly" and has also starred in the 2008 Disney blockbuster production Beverly Hills Chihuahua as the voice of Sebastian
On 29 October 2008, he appeared as a guest presenter on the British National Television Awards, awarding for the Best Performance in a Serial Drama.[citation needed]
Urie originated the role of Rudi Gernreich in the 2009 off-Broadway play The Temperamentals, about the foundation of the early LGBT rights organization the Mattachine Society. Urie received a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor.[11]
Urie has also started his own website for videoblogging and live chats.[12]
Filmography & Television
Year Title Role 2011 The Decoy Bride Steve Korbitz 2010 Celebrity Ghost Stories Himself 2006–2010 Ugly Betty Marc St. James 2008–2009 Mode After Hours Marc St. James 2008 Beverly Hills Chihuahua Sebastian Tangled Web Husband 2005 WTC View Eric Theatre
Year Title Role 2009 The Temperamentals Rudi Gernreich[13] References
- ^ "Michael Urie on Playing an Activist and Assistant on The Temperamentals and Ugly Betty". New York Magazine. June 28, 2009. http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/06/michael_urie.html.
- ^ "Michael Urie, Carving Out A Character On 'Ugly Betty'". http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120325162.
- ^ Copstick, Kate (2010-08-03). "Interview: Michael Urie, Comedian". Scotsman.com. http://living.scotsman.com/comedy/Interview-Michael-Urie-comedian.6450941.jp?articlepage=3. Retrieved 2010-09-21..“He is, he reveals, part Scots by descent.”
- ^ "Michael Urie: Biography". NetGlimse.com. http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/michael_urie/index.shtml. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
- ^ Sommer, Elyse. "Love and Happiness". CurtainUp. http://www.curtainup.com/loveandhappiness.html. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
- ^ "Ugly Betty - Bios". abc.com. http://abc.go.com/primetime/uglybetty/index?pn=bios#t=actor&d=27075. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
- ^ Jacqueline Cutler, "Celebrity Scoop: Michael Urie," Winston-Salem Journal, November 7, 2009.
- ^ Michael Urie - Awards
- ^ "3 New Series Regulars". TV.com. January 24, 2007. http://www.tv.com/ugly-betty-blog/3-new-series-regulars/topic/79114-638006/show_blog_entry.html&topic_id=638006. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
- ^ Regina Schaffer. "Miss America gets real (or just about as real as a beauty pageant can get)," The Press of Atlantic City (NJ), January 4, 2008, page B1.
- ^ Healy, Patrick (05-10-2010). "Honors and the End for ‘Temperamentals’". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/theater/06arts-HONORSANDTHE_BRF.html. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ http://www.michaelurie.net MichaelUrie.net
- ^ BWW News Desk (2009-11-16). "Out Magazine 'Out 100' Includes Four TEMPERAMENTALS, Gavin Creel, Neil Patrick Harris & More". Broadway World. http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Out_Magazine_Out_100_Includes_Four_TEMPERAMENTALS_20091116. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
External links
- MichaelUrie.net - Urie's personal website
- Michael Urie at the Internet Movie Database
- Entertainment Weekly interview with Michael Urie and the actors who portray TV assistants Lloyd (Entourage) and Kenneth (30 Rock).
- Interview from Broadway World (August 21, 2007)
- Michael's Twitter Profile
Categories:- 1980 births
- Actors from Texas
- American film actors
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- American television personalities
- American people of Scottish descent
- American people of Italian descent
- Juilliard School alumni
- LGBT people from the United States
- Living people
- Participants in American reality television series
- People from Plano, Texas
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