- Born
- Birth nameMichael David Rapaport
- Height6′ 2¼″ (1.89 m)
- New Yorker through and through, Michael Rapaport was born on March 20, 1970, in Manhattan, to June Brody, a radio personality, and David Rapaport, a radio program manager. He is of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent.
Rapaport moved to Los Angeles to try stand-up comedy following high school graduation (which came after a series of expulsions), but he never lost, forgot or deserted his New York roots. It's embedded in his work and is a major part of his low-keyed charm and ongoing appeal. His early idols were also New Yorkers (Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, etc.).
Within a short amount of time Michael moved from the live comedy stage to working in front of a camera. The two developed an immediate rapport. A guest spot on the TV series China Beach (1988) led to a starring role in the quirky interracial indie Zebrahead (1992), which clinched it for him. This, in turn, led to a string of standout parts in films, such as Christian Slater's pal in True Romance (1993), an edgy collegiate-turned-skinhead in Higher Learning (1995) and a sympathetic none-too-bright boxer in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995), all enabling him to build up a higher profile.
In later years, Michael managed to show his ease at offbeat comedy, demonstrating a kid-like, goofy charm as Lisa Kudrow's cop boyfriend for a few episodes on Friends (1994) and as teacher Danny Hanson on Boston Public (2000).
He later formed his own production company, Release Entertainment, in search of that one big breakout role that could nab top stardom for him. In later years, his offbeat character leads included an inducted mafioso in Kiss Toledo Goodbye (1999); a hit man in the action comedy A Good Night to Die (2003); a comic book fanatic in the sci-fi comedy Special (2006); a trouble-making buddy in crime drama Inside Out (2011); a man helping out his former gangster neighbor in the dramedy Once Upon a Time in Queens (2013); and a married guy trying to get his mojo back in the comedy My Man Is a Loser (2014). For the most part, however, he served extremely well in support of other prominent stars with weird-to-bizarre featured roles for Woody Allen in his crime comedy Small Time Crooks (2000); for Arnold Schwarzenegger in the futuristic actioneer The 6th Day (2000); for Will Smith in the romantic /comedy Hitch (2005); for Ray Romano and Kevin James in the comedy crimer Grilled (2006); for Billy Bob Thornton in the action comedy The Baytown Outlaws (2012); for Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in the crime comedy The Heat (2013); and for Tom Hanks in the biopic Sully (2016).
Rapaport married writer Nicole Beatty in 2000 and divorced seven years later after having two children. In 2016, he married actress Kebe Dunn.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
- SpousesKebe Dunn(2016 - present)Nichole Beattie(January 15, 2000 - 2007) (divorced, 2 children)
- ChildrenMaceo Shane RapaportJulian Ali Rapaport
- ParentsJune BrodyDavid Rapaport
- RelativesClaudia Lonow(Half Sibling)
- Thick old-school New York City accent
- Abrasive, brash, caustic, depraved, emotional characters
- His characters plays a lot of criminals, gangsters, robbers, thugs, heavies, drug dealers, junkies
- His characters uses a lot of profanity, bad language, vulgarity (in most of his movies)
- His Characters ended up in an false accusation, framed, setup and or wrongful accusation
- Pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment of Lili Taylor. Ordered to stay away from her and get counseling for a year.
- As a youngster, he was a die-hard fan of Eddie Murphy and used to dress up like him in gold chains and white suits. He later got to work with his idol in the film Metro (1997) and on Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001).
- Has a son named Maceo Shane, born in 2002. He named his son after Vincent Mason aka Maseo of De La Soul.
- Has a son named Julian Ali, born in 2000.
- Lost to Gary Dell'Abate in the final round of the Howard Stern Staff Fantasy Football League in 2014.
- I don't think about it as being bumped up, but as being bumped forward. I'm not interested in climbing up the ladder. From 'up' you can come 'down.' I just want 'forward.'
- Making a character human is important...not likable or unlikable...just well- rounded.
- Sometimes people think I'm dumber than I am because of the characters that I play. But it takes a genius to play a fool.
- I'm always very impressed and humbled that I've been able to work with the kind of people that I've been able to work with. But, when I'm working with them I leave the fan at home. I come to work as a professional. I think if you go into something looking at people as better than you, if you give people too much respect, I don't think it benefits you or them.
- (2011, on being a part of Frank Zappa's Civilization, Phaze III) I used to date Moon Zappa. She's a good friend of mine still. He used to get a kick out of the way I used to speak, so he was like, "Yo, you wanna come down there and talk on this album?" We went down there and I talked on the album, and I felt like it was cool 'cause he was Frank Zappa, and I was Mike Rappa. That's what we used to joke. I used to always get a kick out of him, and I think he used to get a kick out of me.
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