Michael Joseph Carbonaro (born April 28, 1976) /ref> is an American actor, magician, and improv artist.
Early life
Born and raised in
Oakdale, New York
Oakdale is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 7,974 at the 2010 census. Oakdale is in the Town of Islip. It has been home to Gilded Age mansions, the South Side Sportsmen's Clu ...
, on Long Island, the younger of two sons of an electrician father and a nurse mother, he attended
Connetquot High School
Connetquot High School (CHS) is a Public school (government funded), public High school (North America), high school serving students from the communities of Bohemia, New York, Bohemia, Oakdale, New York, Oakdale and Ronkonkoma, New York, Ronkonkom ...
in
Bohemia, New York
Bohemia is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 10,180 at the 2010 census. It is situated along the South Shore of Long Island in the Town of Islip, approximately 50 miles from ...
. He began performing magic professionally while growing up, earning his college tuition while still in his teens. He holds a bachelor's degree in drama from the Tisch School of the Arts at
NYU
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
.
Career
He is known for his hidden-camera "Magic Clerk" segments on ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'', in which he tricks unsuspecting customers at a convenience store. This led to a television series with a similar premise, ''
The Carbonaro Effect
''The Carbonaro Effect'' is an American hidden camera practical joke reality television series hosted by magician and prankster Michael Carbonaro, who performs tricks on people caught on hidden camera. It debuted on April 1, 2014, and is curren ...
'', which premiered on
TruTV
TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts comedy, docusoaps and reality shows.
The channel was originally launched in 1991 as Court TV, a network that fo ...
on May 15, 2014, following a preview episode on April 1, 2014.
In 2004, he was featured on ''
Chappelle's Show
''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were ...
'' on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...
. Following that, Carbonaro played Andy Wilson in the 2006 comedy ''
Another Gay Movie
''Another Gay Movie'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Todd Stephens. It follows four gay friends, Andy, Jarod, Nico and Griff, who vow upon graduating high school that they will all lose their " anal virginity" before their fri ...
''. For his work, he won the
Outfest
Outfest is an LGBTQ-oriented nonprofit that produces two film festivals, operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in Los Angeles. Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the Frameline Film Festival ...
"Best Actor in a Feature Film" award. Carbonaro has also appeared on '' All My Children'' (2006), ''
The Guiding Light
''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...