Michael Gross | |
|---|---|
| File:Michael Gross 2015.jpg | |
| Born | Michael Edward Gross June 21, 1947 |
| Education | University of Illinois, Chicago (BA) Yale University (MFA) |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse(s) | Elza Bergeron (m. 1984) |
| Children | 2 stepdaughters |
Michael Edward Gross (born June 21, 1947) is an American television, movie and stage actor. He has played both comedic and dramatic roles, such as Steven Keaton from the sitcom Family Ties (1982–89) and the graboid hunter Burt Gummer from the Tremors film franchise.
Early life[]
Gross was born in Chicago, the son of Virginia Ruth (née Cahill), a telephone operator, and William Oscar Gross, a tool designer.[1] Gross and his younger sister, Mary, were raised Catholic. He attended St. Francis Xavier school in Chicago in his early years.[2]
He attended Kelvyn Park High School on the north side of Chicago. He received his drama degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago before attending Yale University for his Master of Fine Arts degree. His sister, Mary Gross, a former Saturday Night Live cast member, is also an actress. The siblings are first cousins to actor Ron Masak.[3]
Career[]
Gross is best known for his roles as Steven Keaton in the 1980s sitcom Family Ties (his co-star Meredith Baxter, who played his wife Elyse Keaton, were born on the same day, June 21, 1947).[4] He is also known for playing Burt Gummer in the Tremors movies and subsequent TV series.[5]
Gross guest starred in an episode of the sitcom Night Court, in which he played a sexual predator of Markie Post's character, Christine Sullivan. In 1988, he portrayed a murderous bank robber in the true life movie In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders. His other television credits include Boston Legal, How I Met Your Mother, Batman Beyond, ER, Parks and Recreation (Episode: "Summer Catalog"), Law & Order, and two of its spin-offs: SVU and Criminal Intent. From August 2008 to January 2009, Gross appeared on the CBS soap The Young and the Restless as River Baldwin. Gross had a special cameo in 2000 on Spin City as a therapist to Michael J. Fox's character on Fox's final show as a regular on that program. In November 1979, Gross originated the role of Greta in the Broadway production of Martin Sherman's Bent.[6]
Personal life[]
Gross has been married to casting director Elza Bergeron since June 2, 1984, and he is a stepfather to her two daughters. [citation needed]
Gross remains close friends with his Family Ties co-star Meredith Baxter and coincidentally shares the same birthdate with his on-screen wife.[7]
Gross is a passionate railfan with an extensive collection of railroad antiques. He is an amateur railroad historian, photographer, modeler, and part-owner in a working railroad, the Santa Fe Southern Railway, a former branch line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway which operates between Lamy and Santa Fe, New Mexico.[8] He is also the spokesman for the World's Greatest Hobby campaign sponsored by the Model Railroad Industry Association that promotes the hobby of model railroading. He has also been a spokesperson for Operation Lifesaver, a campaign promoting safety at railroad grade crossings.[9]
Since 2009, Gross has been "celebrity spokesman" for the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.[10] He is also a member of the Santa Fe Railway Historical Society.
Filmography[]
| Acting in film and television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | A Girl Named Sooner | Jim Seevey | TV movie |
| 1980 | Just Tell Me What You Want | Lothar | |
| 1980 | F.D.R.: The Last Year | Dr. Howard Bruenn | TV movie |
| 1981 | Dream House | Julius "J.J." Jacobson | TV movie |
| 1982–89 | Family Ties | Steven Keaton | TV series, main role, 171 episodes |
| 1987 | Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz | Voice | |
| 1988 | In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders | William Matix | |
| 1988 | Big Business | Dr. Jay Marshall | |
| 1990 | Tremors | Burt Gummer | |
| 1991 | Cool as Ice | Gordon Winslow/James Anthony Hackett | |
| 1992 | Alan & Naomi | ||
| 1992 | With a Vengeance | Frank Tanner | TV movie |
| 1993 | Batman: The Animated Series | Lloyd Ventrix | Voice |
| 1993 | The Story of Peanut Butter | ||
| 1994 | Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story | Television film | |
| 1994 | Never Ask the Devil to Pack a Lunch | ||
| 1995 | Deceived by Trust | Dr. Gordon Powell | TV movie |
| 1996 | Hijacked: Flight 285 | Ben Horn | TV movie |
| 1996 | Tremors 2: Aftershocks | Burt Gummer | Direct-to-video |
| 1996 | The Outer Limits | Professor Stan Hurst | Episode: "Inconstant Moon" |
| 1996 | Sometimes They Come Back... Again | Jon Porter | |
| 1998 | Ground Control | ||
| 1999 | Batman Beyond | Warren McGinnis | Voice |
| 2000 | Spin City | Dr. Peterson | 1 episode (season 4.25) |
| 2001 | The Undesirable | Television film | |
| 2001 | Tremors 3: Back to Perfection | Burt Gummer | Direct-to-video |
| 2002-2004 | ER | John Carter Snr. | TV series |
| 2002 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Arthur Esterman/Vartan Dadian | 1 episode (season 4.4) |
| 2002 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Dr. Charles Webb | 1 episode (season 1.12) |
| 2003 | The Power of Aluminum Foil | TV series | |
| 2003 | Super Chief: Speed-Style-Service | Narrator | |
| 2004 | Tremors 4: The Legend Begins | Hiram Gummer / Burt Gummer | Direct-to-video |
| 2004 | Combustion | ||
| 2004 | Drew Carey Show | ||
| 2005 | Daylight The Most Beautiful Train In The World | Narrator | |
| 2006 | Dome Car Magic: A History of Railroad Dome Cars | Narrator | |
| 2006–11 | How I Met Your Mother | Alfred Mosby | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | 100 Million BC | Dr. Frank Reno | |
| 2008–09 | The Young and the Restless | River Baldwin | TV series |
| 2010 | Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Robin | Episode: "Crows" |
| 2010 | Psych | Cody Blair | Episode: "Dead Bear Walking" |
| 2010 | Parks and Recreation | Michael Tansley | Episode: "Summer Catalog" |
| 2011 | Dan Vs. | Don | Voice |
| 2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Dermatologist Dr. Rivkin | 1 episode (season 8.4) |
| 2012 | Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie | Narrator | |
| 2012 | The Dog Who Saved the Holidays | Ned | Direct-to-video |
| 2012 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | Huck Jingles | Episode: "Family Dies" |
| 2012 | Meant to Be | Mr. Trantham | |
| 2012 | Naughty or Nice | Walter Kringle | |
| 2012 | Atlas Shrugged: Part II | Ted 'Buzz' Killman | |
| 2013 | Guest House | Lou Wesley | |
| 2014 | Last Man Standing | Mr. Hardin | Episode: "Hard-Ass Teacher" |
| 2014 | Suits | Walter Gillis | 4 episodes (season 4) |
| 2014 | Anger Management | Dr. Randy Warren | 4 episodes (season 2) |
| 2015 | Grace & Frankie | Jeff | 2 episodes (season 1) |
| 2015 | Tremors 5: Bloodlines | Burt Gummer | Direct-to-video |
| 2016 | Bilal | Okba | Voice |
| 2016 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Jeffrey Prince | 1 episode (season 17.21) |
| 2016 | Togetherness | Mr. Pierson | Episode: "Advanced Pretend" |
| 2017 | Grace & Frankie | Jeff | Episode 11 |
| 2018 | Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell | Burt Gummer | Direct-to-video |
References[]
- ↑ "Gross, Virginia Ruth". Chicago Tribune. March 22, 2005. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-03-22/news/0503220138_1_mrs-gross-park-beautification-long.
- ↑ David Niles. "Worcester Telegram & Gazette Archives". Nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Mary Gross". IMDb. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Michael Gross Biography". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Exclusive: Michael Gross Talks Tremors 5". Dread Central. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Staff. "'Bent' profile". IBDB. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ https://parade.com/95157/erinhill/meredith-baxter-michael-gross-family-ties/
- ↑ Hall, Ken; Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine (2003), The Celebrity Collector - Michael Gross, his family tree and his collections are rooted in the railroad; retrieved October 7, 2005.
- ↑ Model Railroad Industry Association (2005), World's Greatest Hobby campaign keeps model railroading on the right track for the future; retrieved October 7, 2005.
- ↑ "What's Here– A message from Michael Gross". B&O Railroad Museum. 2009. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
{{cite web}}:
External links[]
- Michael Gross at the Internet Movie Database
- Gross at the Internet Broadway Database
- Michael Gross at Internet Off-Broadway Database