Michael Rapaport
- Acting
- March 20, 1970 · New York City, New York, USA
Biography
Michael Rapaport is an American actor, comedian, and podcast host who has built a prolific, decades-long career playing memorable characters across film, television, and comedy. Emerging in the early 1990s as a distinct character actor known for his gritty New York persona, fast-talking delivery, and comedic timing, he made his feature film debut in Zebrahead (1992) before landing his breakout dramatic role as a naive marine in Tony Scott's crime classic True Romance (1993). He quickly established himself as a versatile fixture of '90s cinema, delivering standout performances in critically acclaimed films such as Poetic Justice (1993), John Singleton's Higher Learning (1995), Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995), the crime drama Cop Land (1997), and the comedy Deep Blue Sea (1999). In television, Rapaport has maintained an equally robust presence, starring as Phoebe Buffay's police officer boyfriend Gary in NBC’s Friends, playing the lead role of a suburban father in the Fox sitcom The War at Home, and taking on major dramatic arcs in critically acclaimed series like Boston Public, Justified, Atypical, and Only Murders in the Building. Beyond scripted acting and voice work—including his prominent voice role as Ogre in the animated series The PJs—he has achieved widespread recognition as a sports and political commentator, documentary filmmaker (directing the acclaimed Beats, Rhymes & Travels: A Tribe Called Quest Documentary), and host of several popular podcasts, cementing his status as a ubiquitous and outspoken fixture in modern American entertainment.
Known for
Filmography
- Matchmaking 3
- October 8 · Self
- Stealing Jokes · Louie
- Don't F**k with Ghosts · Self
- I'll Be Right There · Marshall
- Fallout · Knight Titus
- Carol & the End of the World · Voice
- The Choice Is Yours · Self
- Glisten and the Merry Mission · Grizz (Voice)
- The Traitors · Self
- Life & Beth · Leonard
- The Supporters · Executive producer
- Only Murders in the Building · Detective Kreps
- kid 90 · Self
- Conflicted · Mike
- Celebrity Wheel of Fortune · Self
- Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story · Bill Fitch
- Five Golden Rings
- The Follow-Up · Self
- Lights Out with David Spade · Self
- 100%: Julian Edelman · Self
- Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate · Self
- The Masked Singer · Pickle
- The After Party · Self
- White Famous · Teddy Snow
- Steve · Self
- Atypical · Doug Gardner
- The Guest Book · Adam
- Chuck · John Wepner
- The New Edition Story · Gary Evans
- Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life · Animation Voice (Voice)
- Crisis in Six Scenes · Trooper
- Sully · Bartender - Pete
- The $100,000 Pyramid · Self
- Hard Lovin' Woman · Director
- A Stand Up Guy · Colin
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert · Self
- Living the Fantasy · Narrator
- Public Morals · Charlie Bullman
- Little Boy · James Busbee
- Hot Ones · Self
- When the Garden Was Eden · Director, Producer
- black-ish · Jay Simmons
- My Man Is a Loser · Marty
- NB90s
- The Heat · Jason Mullins
- Last I Heard · Bobby DiBianco
- Alekesam · Producer
- Kiss of the Damned · Ben Rider
- The Mob Doctor · Paul Moretti
- The Baytown Outlaws · Lucky
- Should've Been Romeo · Danny
- NB80s · Self
- Inside Out · Jack Small
- Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest · Self, Director
- Pound Puppies · Squirt (Voice)
- Raising Hope · Michael
- The Deported · Self
- Justified · Daryl Crowe Jr.
- 30 for 30 · Director, Producer
- Celebrity Ghost Stories · Self
- Accidentally on Purpose · Sully
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen · Self
- A Day in the Life · Detective Grant
- Big Fan · Philadelphia Phil
- The Wendy Williams Show · Self
- The Miley and Mandy Show
- Assassination of a High School President · Coach Z
- The Big Bang Theory · Kenny Fitzgerald
- Fugly · Jack
- Special · Les Franken
- Talkshow with Spike Feresten
- Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness · DJ (Voice)
- Grilled · Bobby
- Push · Tommy G
- It Ain't Easy
- Live Free or Die · Putney
- America Brown · Daniel Brown
- My Name Is Earl · Frank Stump
- The War at Home · Dave Gold