Michael Zegen
| Michael Zegen | |
|---|---|
|
Zegen at the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | |
| Born |
Michael Jonathan Zegen[1] Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Residence | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Mike Zegen |
| Education | Skidmore College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2002 – present |
Michael Jonathan "Mike" Zegen is an American actor, best known for his role as probie firefighter Damien Keefe on the FX Network television drama Rescue Me, as well as his recurring role as Dwight the Troubled Teen on over 50 episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman.
Life and career
Zegen's father is a lawyer and his mother is a teacher. He has two brothers.[1] He is Jewish, and his grandparents are Holocaust survivors.[2][3][4] Zegen is a 2001 graduate of Skidmore College.[5] He is a member of the New York City sketch comedy troupe "Hottie$ Galore".[6]
His role on Rescue Me began as a recurring character in Seasons 1-3, playing the nephew of series lead Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary). In Seasons 5-6, he was promoted to the main cast when his character began probie school to become a firefighter.[7]
In late 2010, Zegen was officially cast as gangster Bugsy Siegel for the second, third and fifth season of the HBO series, Boardwalk Empire.[8] In 2011 Zegen, along with James Ransone, were cast in supporting roles in the HBO comedy series How To Make It In America. In mid-2011, Zegen was cast in a recurring guest role in the second season of the AMC series The Walking Dead.[9] In 2014 he created the role of Liam off-Broadway in the dark comedy Bad Jews.[1][3]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Bittersweet Place | Todd | |
| 2007 | Girl Next Door, TheThe Girl Next Door | Eddie | |
| 2008 | Assassination of a High School President | Steven Lohman | |
| 2009 | Adventureland | Eric | |
| Taking Woodstock | Bernie (Young Man #1) | ||
| Box, TheThe Box | Garcin | ||
| 2012 | Frances Ha | Benji | |
| 2015 | Brooklyn | Maurizio | |
| 2016 | The Seagull | Mikhail | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Sopranos, TheThe Sopranos | Partygoer | 1 episode |
| 2004–11 | Rescue Me | Damien Keefe | 42 episodes |
| 2006 | Love Monkey | Luther | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Mercy | Jason Keener | 1 episode |
| 2011 | How to Make It in America | Andy Sussman | 4 episodes (Season 2) |
| 2011–14 | Boardwalk Empire | Benny "Bugsy" Siegel | 11 episodes (Seasons 2-3; 5) |
| 2012 | Walking Dead, TheThe Walking Dead | Randall Culver | Season 2 (recurring role; 4 episodes) |
| 2014 | Girls | Joe | 3 episodes (Season 3) |
References
- 1 2 3 Blank, Matthew (October 15, 2013). "Playbill.com's Cue & A: "Boardwalk Empire" and Bad Jews Star Michael Zegen". Playbill.com.
- ↑ "The Allure of the Jewish Tough Guy, From 'Exodus' to 'Boardwalk Empire'". The Atlantic. June 30, 2011. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
Zegen, a young Jewish actor from the suburbs of Jersey,...
- 1 2 "Bad Jews Kvetching Over Good Soup Off-Broadway". TheaterMania.com. December 3, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
My grandfather (who was a Holocaust survivor) discovered years after that his brother had survived (also),...
- ↑ http://azjewishpost.com/2015/from-hbo-to-arthur-miller-what-a-tough-guy-actor-learned-from-his-jewish-grandma/
- ↑ "2001 Graduates" (PDF). Skidmore College.
- ↑ IMDB bio for Michael Zegen
- ↑ "Actor Michael Zegen of 'Rescue Me' opens up about playing a brain-dead firefighter". Los Angeles Times. September 1, 2010.
- ↑ "Catching Up With Boardwalk Empire Actor Michael Zegen". www.pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
- ↑ "Walking Dead's Michael Zegen Eulogizes [Spoiler]". tvline.com. Retrieved 22 September 2016.