Michael Cerveris


Michael Cerveris is an American actor, singer, and guitarist. He has performed in many stage musicals and plays, including several Stephen Sondheim musicals: Assassins, , Road Show, and Passion. In 2004, Cerveris won the Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Assassins as John Wilkes Booth. In 2015, he won his second Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical for Fun Home as Bruce Bechdel.
He was called, by Playbill.com, "arguably the most versatile leading man on Broadway", playing roles from "Shakespeare's Romeo to The Who's Tommy, from the German transsexual rock diva Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch to the homicidal title character of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd."
Cerveris' most visible television role to date has been as the Observer code-named September in the FOX science fiction television series Fringe. His character, a mysterious man seen attending many unusual events, appeared regularly during the series and became one of the main characters to bring the story to its end.

Early life

Cerveris was born in Bethesda, Maryland and raised in Huntington, West Virginia. His mother, Marsha, was a dancer, and his father, Michael Cerveris, was a professor of music; the two met while students at the Juilliard School. He is a 1979 graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and a 1983 cum laude graduate of Yale University, where he was a member of Skull and Bones. He majored in theater studies, and also studied voice.

Career

Theatre

;Broadway and Off-Broadway
Cerveris had roles in several Off-Broadway productions, starting with Macbeth in 1983 as Malcolm and including Total Eclipse in 1985 as Rimbaud at the Westside Theatre, Abingdon Square in 1987 as Frank at the Women's Project, and Blood Sports in 1987 as Nick at the New York Theatre Workshop.
He made his Broadway debut in The Who's Tommy in 1993 as "18-20 year old Tommy/Narrator", receiving a Tony Award nomination as Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Drama League Award nomination, Theater World Award winner, and Original Cast Grammy winner. He had appeared in Tommy in the La Jolla Playhouse prior to Broadway. He next appeared in the Broadway musical Titanic in 1997 as Thomas Andrews. He played the role of John Wilkes Booth in the Broadway musical Assassins in 2004, and won the Tony Award, Best Featured Actor in a Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award.
In the 2005 Broadway revival of Cerveris played the title role, and was nominated for the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League Award, and received a Drama Critics Circle citation. In this John Doyle production, the actors also played instruments, with Cerveris playing lyric guitar. In the Broadway musical LoveMusik he appeared as Kurt Weill, and received Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Drama League Award nominations. In 2007 he played Kent in King Lear at the Off-Broadway Public Theater, receiving a Drama League Award nomination. Cerveris played Posthumus Leonatus in the Broadway revival of Cymbeline from December 2, 2007 to January 6, 2008. He appeared Off-Broadway in the Stephen Sondheim-John Weidman musical Road Show at the Public Theater in 2008 as Wilson Mizner. Cerveris appeared opposite Mary-Louise Parker in the limited Roundabout Theatre Company production of Hedda Gabler from January 2009 to March 2009. He next played Dr. Givings in the Broadway comedy by Sarah Ruhl, In the Next Room , starting in October 2009. From March 2012 to January 2013, Cerveris played Perón in the Broadway revival of Evita. Then, from 2015 to 2016, he played the role of Bruce Bechdel in the Broadway musical Fun Home winning the 2015 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.
; Other venues
In 2000 Cerveris played the lead role of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in the West End. He had previously played the role Off-Broadway from July 8, 1998 to August 4, 1998 and again from February 1999. He was a Garland Award winner, and Ovation Award nominee. During 2002, the Kennedy Center presented a "Sondheim Celebration"; Cerveris appeared in Passion as Giorgio. Cerveris has appeared several times at the Ravinia Festival Concerts, including: Passion, Sunday In The Park With George, and Anyone Can Whistle in 2005. He performed in the New York City Center Encores! staged concert of The Apple Tree in 2005, with Kristin Chenoweth.
; Regional
Cerveris has appeared in films such as Lulu on the Bridge, The Mexican, Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, , Stake Land, Detours, and Ant-Man and the Wasp. His television roles include Ian Ware on Fame, Marvin Frey on Treme, State's Attorney James Castro on The Good Wife, Ramses IV on The Tick, Lazlo Valentin/Professor Pyg on Gotham, and September/The Observer on Fringe. Cerveris also appeared as The Observer at several real-life events covered by FOX as part of a viral marketing campaign for the series. These include appearing in the audience at a taping of American Idol, being shown in the stands at various football and NASCAR events, and a cameo in a commercial for Glee.
Cerveris appeared as Ted Gunn, head of the Behavioral Science Unit in the second season of Mindhunter.

Music career

Cerveris played guitar as a member of Bob Mould's touring band supporting the album The Last Dog And Pony Show. A performance at The Forum in London was recorded and released as BobMouldBand: LiveDog98. His debut solo album, Dog Eared, was co-produced with Adam Lasus and includes guest appearances from Norman Blake, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss, Ken Stringfellow, Steve Shelley, Kevin March, Anders Parker, and Laura Cantrell. In 2011, Cerveris founded the Americana-Country band Loose Cattle with longtime collaborator Kimberly Kaye. Cerveris and Kaye share vocals in the style of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. Known for tongue-in-cheek mashups, country covers, and Cerveris' original songs, the group has gone on to appear at Lincoln Center, Joe's Pub, NPR's Mountain Stage, 54 Below, Chickie Wah Wah's, Siberia, Kajun's Pub, The Blue Note Cafe, Louisiana Music Factory, Rock'n'bowl, Rockwoof Music Hall, Webster Hall, and many others.
He has also contributed vocals to "My Other Phone Is a Boom Car" as part of a ringtone project by They Might Be Giants for Wired Magazine in March 2007. In They Might Be Giants' 2011 release, Join Us, Cerveris also provided vocals for the track, "Three Might Be Duende."

Other activities

Cerveris has performed at many events, to honor or celebrate notable performers and creatives. He performed at The Drama League gala, A Musical Celebration of Broadway on February 7, 2011, which also honored Patti LuPone. In November 2010 he appeared at the Sonnet Repertory Theatre benefit, which honored director Jack O'Brien. On April 27, 2009, he performed at the Signature Theatre gala, a benefit and to celebrate the first annual Sondheim Award.
On December 8, 2010, he took part in the Symphony Space "Selected Shorts and Thalia Book Club" series of readings.
His concert appearances include the Broadway Cabaret Festival, held in October 2010 at The Town Hall.

Work

Stage roles

YearTitleRoleNote
2000Hedwig and the Angry InchHedwigReprisal

YearTitleRoleNote
1983MacbethMalcolm
1984Life is a DreamAstolfo
1984The GamesYoung Man
1985Green FieldsLevi-Yitshok
1985Total EclipseRimbaud
1986Blood SportsNick
1986Abingdon SquareFrank
1988Eastern StandardPeter Kidde
1998Hedwig and the Angry InchHedwig
2003Fifth of JulyKenneth Talley
2005The Apple TreeSnakeEncores! staged concert
2007King LearKent
2008Road ShowWilson Mizner
2013Nikolai and the OthersGeorge Balanchine
2013Fun HomeBruce Bechdel

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985DoubletakeGary PrineMiniseries
1986–1987FameIan WareMain cast ; 24 episodes
1987The Tracey Ullman ShowEpisode #1.7
1987Leg WorkJohnny DarkEpisode: "The Best Couple I Know"
1988The EqualizerFrank FippsEpisode: "Last Call"
1989The EqualizerNick KaminskyEpisode: "Race Traitors"
1990Gabriel's FireCulpEpisode: "To Catch a Con: Part 2"
199021 Jump StreetRayEpisode: "Back to School"
1991Quantum LeapNickEpisode: "Glitter Rock - April 12, 1974"
1993Dream OnBobby KrullEpisode: "And Bobby Makes Three"
2001'Syd Booth GoggleEpisode: "Strip Strangler"
2002The American EmbassyGary ForbushMain cast; 6 episodes
2004Dr. VegasNick CrowleyEpisode: "Lust for Life"
2005Live from Lincoln CenterGiorgioEpisode: "American Songbook - Passion"
2007'Greg StipeEpisode: "Depths"
2008–2013FringeThe Observer / September / GeminiRecurring; 40 episodes
2011Person of InterestJarek KoskaEpisode: "Judgement"
2011–2013TremeMarvin FreyRecurring ; 10 episodes
2014The KnickDr. William HalstedEpisode: "Get the Rope"
2014–2015The Good WifeJames CastroRecurring; 10 episodes
2016–2019Madam SecretaryCongressman Jeff Pearson2 episodes
2017The TickRamses IVRecurring; 5 episodes
2017GothamLazlo Valentin / Professor Pyg5 episodes
2018MosaicTom DavisInteractive series; 6 episodes
2018ElementaryCouncilman LedesmaEpisode: "How to Get a Head"
2019MindhunterTed GunnMain cast
2019Prodigal SonCarter BurkeheadEpisode: "Pilot"
2020The Plot Against AmericaMr. LewisPart 3
2020---

Discography