Michael Kevin Paré (born October 9, 1958) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the films ''

Eddie and the Cruisers ''Eddie and the Cruisers'' is a 1983 American musical drama film directed by Martin Davidson with the screenplay written by the director and Arlene Davidson, based on the novel by P. F. Kluge. The sequel '' Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! ...

'' (1983), ''

Streets of Fire ''Streets of Fire'' is a 1984 American neo-noir rock musical film directed by Walter Hill and co-written by Hill and Larry Gross. It is described in the opening credits and posters as "A Rock & Roll Fable" and is a mix of various movie genres wi ...

'' (1984), and '' The Philadelphia Experiment'' (1984), and on the series ''

Starhunter ''Starhunter'' (and in the original Season Two ''Starhunter 2300'') is a Canadian science fiction television series that aired for two seasons. The series was produced in Canada by The Danforth Studios Ltd. (a D'or/Jackson Company)

'' (2000-2004).

Early life

Paré was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Joan and Francis Paré, who owned print shops. He has six sisters and three brothers. Paré's father was of

French-Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fr ...

ancestry. His father died from

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

when Paré was five, leaving his mother to raise the large family of children. Growing up Paré was a fan of

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (; October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered ...

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

, and

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...

, and felt he was "a kindred spirit" to them. He was working as a chef in New York City when he met talent agent Yvette Bikoff, who convinced him to try acting. In the early 1980s, he studied acting under

Uta Hagen Uta Thyra Hagen (12 June 1919 – 14 January 2004) was a German-American actress and theatre practitioner. She originated the role of Martha in the 1962 Broadway premiere of ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' by Edward Albee, who called her "a p ...

. He shot a series of television commercials in Japan. He also worked as a model. In August 1987, he appeared on the cover of the first issue of ''

Men's Fitness ''Men's Fitness'' was a men's magazine published by American Media, Inc and founded in the United States in 1987. The premier issue featured Michael Pare from the television series ''The Greatest American Hero''. The magazine's slogan was "How th ...

''. In 2017, it was ranked among ''

Men's Journal ''Men's Journal'' is an American monthly men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and gear. It was founded in 1992 by Jann Wenne ...

s thirty best magazine covers.

Career

His first starring role was as Tony Villicana on the television series ''

The Greatest American Hero ''The Greatest American Hero'' is an American comedy-drama Superhero fiction, superhero television series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour pilot movie on March 1 ...

''. His best-known film roles were as Eddie Wilson in ''

'' (1983) and its sequel '' Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!'' (1989), as well as ''

'' (1984) and '' The Philadelphia Experiment'' (1984). Paré also appeared in the 2012 remake of ''The Philadelphia Experiment.'' He starred as a tortured soldier named Brad Cartowski in the 1993 action film ''

Deadly Heroes ''Deadly Heroes'' is a direct-to-video 1993 action film starring Michael Paré, Jan-Michael Vincent and Billy Drago. Its leading hero Brad Cartowski (Paré) is a former Navy SEAL who must save his kidnapped wife. Directed by Menahem Golan, ''Dead ...

'', directed by

Menahem Golan Menahem Golan ( he, מנחם גולן; May 31, 1929 – August 8, 2014, originally Menachem Globus) was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He was best known for co-owning The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon sp ...

. Other films included ''

Moon 44 ''Moon 44'' is a 1990 English-language German science fiction action film from Centropolis Film Productions, directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Michael Paré and Lisa Eichhorn alongside Brian Thompson and Malcolm McDowell. The film is set ...

'' (1990), '' Village of the Damned'' (1995), ''

Bad Moon ''Bad Moon'' is a 1996 Canadian-American horror film written and directed by Eric Red, and produced by James G. Robinson. The film is about a mother and son who are threatened by her brother, who struggles to overcome the curse of lycanthropy ...

'' (1996), ''

Hope Floats ''Hope Floats'' is a 1998 American drama film directed by Forest Whitaker and starring Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr., and Gena Rowlands. Written by Steven Rogers and Brandine Spuckler, the story follows Birdee (Bullock), an unassuming hous ...

'' (1998), and ''

The Virgin Suicides ''The Virgin Suicides'' is a 1993 debut novel by the American author Jeffrey Eugenides. The fictional story, which is set in Grosse Pointe, Michigan during the 1970s, centers on the lives of five doomed sisters, the Lisbon girls. The novel is wr ...

'' (1999). Paré is best known for his deep, raspy voice, muscular physique, rugged screen presence, and classic

action hero An action hero (sometimes action heroine for women) is the protagonist of an action film or other form of entertainment which portrays action, adventure, and often violence. Other media in which such heroes appear include swashbuckler films, We ...

demeanour. In his 2017 interview for ''Men's Journal'' he revealed that as a young actor he wasn't sure if he wanted to make a career as “the muscular leading guy", and instead tried to follow in the footsteps of his idols — Marlon Brando and James Dean. Paré won the Best Actor award at

PollyGrind Film Festival The PollyGrind Film Festival, also known as simply Pollygrind and the PollyGrind Underground Film Festival, was an annual event held in Las Vegas, Nevada that specialized "in all things alternative, with a wide variety of films not shown elsewher ...

for the film '' Road to Hell'', playing again the role of Tom Cody. On television, Paré starred with

Michael Beck John Michael Beck Taylor (born February 4, 1949), commonly known as Michael Beck, is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Swan in '' The Warriors'' (1979) and Sonny Malone in '' Xanadu'' (1980). Early life Beck was born in Memphis, T ...

in the drama ''

Houston Knights ''Houston Knights'' is an American crime drama television series set in Houston, Texas. The show ran on CBS from March 11, 1987 to June 7, 1988 and had 31 episodes. Summary The core of the series is the partnership between two very different c ...

'' in 1987–1988 as well as the 2001 television series ''

''. The actor frequently appears in

Uwe Boll Uwe Boll (; born June 22, 1965) is a German filmmaker. He came to prominence during the 2000s for his adaptations of video game franchises which often starred international stars like Jason Statham, Burt Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Christian Slater, E ...

's works. In 2022, it was announced that Paré will be starring in the horror film ''Camp Pleasant Lake'' with

Jonathan Lipnicki Jonathan William Lipnicki (born October 22, 1990) is an American actor who is known for his roles as a child actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Jerry Maguire'' (1996), ''Stuart Little (film), Stuart Little'' (1999) and its 2002 sequel '' ...

Personal life

He has married three times. His first wife (1980–1984) was film producer

Lisa Katselas Lisa Katselas (known as Lisa Katselas Paré 1980-96) (born February 12, 1959) is an American film producer and BAFTA Award nominee. She has been an Adjunct Professor at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, Kanbar Film and Television ...

; his second wife, Marisa Roebuck (1986–1988); his present wife (since 1992) is Marjolein Booy, a former fashion model, with whom he has one child. Paré stated that he lives "a good, clean life", and trains frequently. He lives in California.

Filmography

* ''Crazy Times'' (1981) as Harry * ''

'' (1981–1983) as Tony Villicana * ''

'' (1983) as Eddie Wilson * ''

Undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...

'' (1983) as Max * ''

'' (1984) as Tom Cody * '' The Philadelphia Experiment'' (1984) as David Herdeg * ''

Space Rage ''Space Rage'' is a 1985 American space Western film directed by Conrad E. Palmisano. Premise Two centuries in the future, a dangerous lunatic named Grange (Paré) is sentenced to a penal colony, Botany Bay, on the planet Proxima Centauri 3. ...

'' (1985) as Grange * ''

Instant Justice ''Instant Justice'', a.k.a. ''Marine Issue'' is a 1987 action film, action-Drama (film and television), drama film starring Michael Paré, Charles Napier (actor), Charles Napier, Eddie Avoth and Tawny Kitaen. Pare plays the role of Scott Youngbloo ...

'' (1986) as Scott Youngblood * ''The Women's Club'' (1987) as Patrick * ''

World Gone Wild ''World Gone Wild'' is a 1988 science fiction film directed by Lee H. Katzin, and starring Bruce Dern, Catherine Mary Stewart and Michael Paré. Plot In the nuclear-ravaged wasteland of Earth in the year 2087, rain has not fallen for 50 years a ...

'' (1988) as George Landon * ''

'' (1987–1988) as Sergeant Joey La Fiamma * '' Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!'' (1989) as Eddie Wilson / Joe West * ''Dragonfight'' (1990) as Moorpark * ''

'' (1990) as Felix Stone * ''

Il sole buio ''Il sole buio'', internationally released as ''The Dark Sun'' and ''Dark Sun'', is a 1990 Cinema of Italy, Italian thriller film, thriller-drama film directed by Damiano Damiani.''Variety Film Reviews'', Volume 21, Garland Pub., 1989 Plot ...

'' (1990) as Ruggero Brickman * ''The Closer'' (1990) as Larry Freed * ''Empire City'' (1991) as Joey Andre * ''Killing Streets'' (1991) as Chris Brandt / Craig Brandt * ''The Last Hour'' (1991) as Jeff * '' Into the Sun'' (1992) as Captain Paul Watkins * ''Blink of an Eye'' (1992) as Sam Browning * '' Sunset Heat'' (1992) as Eric Wright * '' Point of Impact'' (1993) as Jack Davis * ''

'' (1993) as Brad Cartowski * ''Warriors'' (1994) as Colin Neal * ''Carver's Gate'' (1995) as Carver * ''Lunarcop'' (1995) as Joe Brody * '' Village of the Damned'' (1995) as Frank McGowan * ''Triplecross'' (1995) as Teddy "T.C." Cooper * ''The Dangerous'' (1995) as Random * ''Raging Angels'' (1995) as Colin * '' The Colony'' (1996) as Alec Harken * ''Coyote Run'' (1996) as Pershing Quinn * ''

'' (1996) as Ted Harrison * ''Merchant of Death'' (1997) as Jim Randell * ''2103: The Deadly Wake'' (1997) as Tarkis * ''Strip Search'' (1997) as Robby Durrell * ''Falling Fire'' (1997) as Daryl Boden * ''

'' (1998) as Bill Pruitt * ''Back to Even'' (1998) as Boyle * ''

October 22 Events Pre-1600 * 451 – The Chalcedonian Creed, regarding the divine and human nature of Jesus, is adopted by the Council of Chalcedon, an ecumenical council. * 794 – Emperor Kanmu relocates the Japanese capital to Heian-kyō (no ...

'' (1998) as Gary * ''

'' (1999) as Adult Trip Fontaine * ''Men of Means'' (1999) as Rico "Bullet" Burke * ''Peril'' (2000) as Vincent * '' Sanctimony'' (2000) as Jim Renart * ''Space Fury'' (2000) as Konrad * ''A Month of Sundays'' (2001) as Tomas McCabe * '' Blackwoods'' (2002) as Sheriff Harding * '' Heart of America'' (2002) as Will Prat * ''Red Serpent'' (2003) as Steve Nichols * ''Fate'' (2003) as Detective Cody Martin * ''

'' (2000–2003) as Dante Montana * ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

'' (2004) as Randy Price * ''

Gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...

'' (2004) as Ty "Griff" Griffin * ''Crash Landing'' (2005) as Captain Williams * ''

Komodo vs. Cobra ''Komodo vs. Cobra'', also referred to as ''KVC'', is a 2005 American television film directed by Jim Wynorski. It is Wynorski's sequel to his 2004 film ''Curse of the Komodo'', with several similar elements (experimentation gone awry, father-daug ...

'' (2005) as Mike A. Stoddard * ''

BloodRayne ''BloodRayne'' is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series originally developed by Terminal Reality and published by Majesco Entertainment which began with the game of the same name in 2002. The franchise ...

'' (2005) as Iancu * ''

Furnace A furnace is a structure in which heat is produced with the help of combustion. Furnace may also refer to: Appliances Buildings * Furnace (central heating): a furnace , or a heater or boiler , used to generate heat for buildings * Boiler, used t ...

'' (2006) as Detective Michael Turner * ''Saurian'' (2006) as Jace Randall * ''

South Beach South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard. This area was the fi ...

'' (2006) as Charlie Evans * ''

Seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

'' (2007) as Detective Matt Bishop * ''Polycarp'' (2007) as Detective Barry Harper * '' Postal'' (2007) as Panhandler * '' BloodRayne II: Deliverance'' (2007) as Pat Garrett * ''Dark World'' (2008) as Harry * ''Ninja Cheerleaders'' (2008) as Victor Lazzaro * '' 1968 Tunnel Rats'' (2008) as Sergeant Vic Hollowborn * '' 100 Feet'' (2008) as Mike Watson * '' Road to Hell'' (2008) as Tom Cody * '' Alone in the Dark II'' (2008) as Willson * ''

Far Cry ''Far Cry'' is an anthology franchise of first-person shooter games, all of which have been published by Ubisoft. The first game, ''Far Cry'', was developed by Crytek to premiere their CryEngine software, and released in March 2004. Subsequent ...

'' (2008) as Paul Summers * ''The Perfect Sleep'' (2009) as Officer Pavlovich * '' 1968: Tunnel Rats - Behind the Scenes'' (2009) as Sergeant Vic Hollowborn * '' Direct Contact'' (2009) as Clive Connelly * '' Rampage'' (2009) as Sheriff Melvoy * ''Cool Dog'' (2009) as Dean Warner * ''Job'' (2010) as Detective Remar * ''

Tales of an Ancient Empire ''Tales of an Ancient Empire'' is a 2010 American fantasy film, fantasy-Sword and sorcery films, sword and sorcery film directed by Albert Pyun and starring Kevin Sorbo, Michael Paré, Whitney Able, Melissa Ordway, Ralf Moeller, Lee Horsley, and Vi ...

'' (2010) as Oda * '' Amphibious Creature of the Deep'' (original title: ''Amphibious 3D'') (2010) as Jack Bowman * ''Room and Board'' * ''

Blubberella ''Blubberella'' is a 2011 German exploitation comedy film written and directed by Uwe Boll. The plot is about an obese dhampir superhero, set in German-occupied Europe. The entire film is a scene-for-scene spoof of '' BloodRayne: The Third Rei ...

'' (2011) as Commandant * '' Bloodrayne: The Third Reich'' (2011) as Commander Ekart Brand * ''

The Lincoln Lawyer ''The Lincoln Lawyer'' is a 2005 novel, the 16th by American crime writer Michael Connelly. It introduces Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller, half-brother of Connelly's mainstay character Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. It was adapted as ...

'' (2011) as Detective Kurlen * ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

'' (2011 TV show) * '' The Philadelphia Experiment'' (2012) as Hagan * '' Gone'' (2012) as Lieutenant Ray Bozeman * ''

Leverage Leverage or leveraged may refer to: *Leverage (mechanics), mechanical advantage achieved by using a lever * ''Leverage'' (album), a 2012 album by Lyriel *Leverage (dance), a type of dance connection *Leverage (finance), using given resources to ...

'' (2012) as FBI Special Agent Dennis Powell (Season 4: Episode 17) * ''

Maximum Conviction ''Maximum Conviction'' is a 2012 action thriller starring Steven Seagal and Steve Austin and directed by Keoni Waxman. Plot It should be an easy day's work for former black ops operative Cross (Steven Seagal) and his partner Manning (Stone Cold ...

'' (2012) as Chris Blake * ''

Assault on Wall Street ''Assault on Wall Street'' (also known as ''Attack on Wall Street'' and formerly known as ''Bailout: The Age of Greed'') is a 2013 action thriller film written and directed by Uwe Boll and starring Dominic Purcell, Erin Karpluk, Edward Furlong and ...

'' (2013) * ''Suddenly'' (2013) * ''Real Gangsters'' (2013) * '' How Sweet It Is'' (2013) * ''The Big Fat Stone'' (2014) * ''

Bone Tomahawk ''Bone Tomahawk'' is a 2015 American Western film written and directed by S. Craig Zahler in his directorial debut. It stars Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons, Evan Jonigkeit, David Arquette, and Sid Haig ...

'' (2015) as Mr. Wallington * ''

No Deposit ''No Deposit'' (sometimes stylized as ''No Depo$it'') is a 2015 Canadian drama film written and directed by and starring Frank D'Angelo. Plot Cast * Frank D'Angelo as Jimmy Valenti * Michael Paré as Mickey Ryan * Peter Coyote as Police Chief W ...

'' (2015) as Mickey Ryan * ''

Sicilian Vampire ''Sicilian Vampire'' is a 2015 Canadian horror drama film written, directed by and starring Frank D'Angelo. It also stars James Caan, Daryl Hannah, Paul Sorvino, and Robert Loggia. The film revolves around Santino "Sonny" Trafficante, a reputed m ...

'' (2015) as Sammy * ''

The Good, the Bad and the Dead ''The Good, the Bad, and the Dead'' (stylized on-screen as ''4Got10''The Night Rider ''www.manlymovie.net'', published 06-16-2015. Retrieved 09-14-2015.) is a 2015 American action thriller film directed by Timothy Woodward Jr., and starring Joh ...

'' (2015) as Sheriff Olson * '' The Infiltrator'' (2016) as

Barry Seal Adler Berriman "Barry" Seal (July 16, 1939 – February 19, 1986) was an American commercial airline pilot who became a major drug smuggler for the Medellín Cartel. When Seal was convicted of smuggling charges, he became an informant for the Drug ...

* ''

Traded Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...

'' (2016) as Clay Travis * ''

The Red Maple Leaf ''The Red Maple Leaf'' is a 2016 Canadian-American, crime drama film written and directed by Frank D'Angelo and starring D'Angelo alongside James Caan, Robert Loggia, Martin Landau, Paul Sorvino, Kris Kristofferson, and Mira Sorvino. The film is ...

'' (2016) * ''

Nessie & Me ''Nessie & Me'' is a 2017 American adventure comedy-drama film directed by Jim Wynorski starring John Henry Richardson, Walker Mintz, Jolie Ledford, and Michael Paré. ''Nessie & Me'' is Jim Wynorski's debut in directing a children's film, and is ...

'' (2016) * '' Jason's Letter'' (2017) * '' The Neighborhood'' (2017) * ''Global Meltdown'' (2017) * ''Battle of the Drones'' (2017) as Karl Kess * ''

Reborn Reborn may refer to: Film *''Reborn'', a 2015 video produced by the Augustine Institute * ''Re:Born'' (film), a 2016 Japanese action film * ''Reborn'' (film), a 2018 American horror film Music * Reborn (band), a Moroccan death metal band Albums ...

'' (2018) * ''A Christmas in Royal Fashion'' (2018) * ''

City of Lies ''City of Lies'' is a 2018 crime thriller film about the investigations by the Los Angeles Police Department of the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. It is directed by Brad Furman, with a screenplay by Christian Contreras ba ...

'' (2018) as Varney * ''Mayday'' (2019) * ''Once Upon a Time in Deadwood'' (2019) * ''Shark Island'' (2021) as Charlie * ''Painkiller'' (2021) as Dr Alan Rhodes * ''The Penthouse'' (2021) * ''

South of Heaven ''South of Heaven'' is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on July 5, 1988 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's second collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose production skills on their previo ...

'' (2021) as Joey * '' Renegades'' as Donovan * '' The Beast Comes at Midnight '' as Knight * ''Supersonic'' (TBA) * ''Camp Pleasant Lake'' (TBA)

Awards and nominations

Awards

*Best Actor: 2012

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pare, Michael 1958 births Living people Male actors from New York City American male film actors American people of French-Canadian descent American male television actors People from Brooklyn 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors