Michael Stahl-David
Encyclopedia
Michael Stahl-David is an American
actor, perhaps best known for his television role as Sean Donnelly on The Black Donnellys
and his lead role in the J. J. Abrams
-produced film Cloverfield
.
, Illinois
, the son of physician
s. He graduated from Columbia College in Chicago, IL. He is the older brother to Eric Stahl-David and R. Andrew Stahl-David, both of whom graduated from Whitney Young High School. Prior to his acting success, Michael Stahl-David was a well known graffiti artist in Chicago, which he has gone on to discuss recently in a Q&A with the Chicago Sun Times.
. Later in 2003, he also played a minor role as Craig in Uncle Nino
. During this time he was active in the Chicago theater scene. He appeared in plays at the Steppenwolf Theater (One Arm, Theater District), Victory Gardens Theater (Cider House Rules, Lost in Yonkers) and the Goodman (The Goat, Or Who is Sylvia?) Shortly after arriving in New York in 2005, he appeared as Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank at the Papermill Playhouse. In the winter of 2007 he enjoyed critical success in his role in The Overwhelming off Broadway. Stahl-David began his television acting career in 2007, when he made a guest appearance as Riordan Grady in the series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
: episode "Players". Later in that year of 2007, David portrayed Sean Donnelly, one of the four Irish brothers, in the short-lived series The Black Donnellys
. His most recent film appearance was in J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield
as Rob. In September 2008, Stahl-David starred in and directed the web series Michael Stahl-David: Behind the Star on Crackle
.
Stahl-David appeared in the fall 2010 ABC
documentary-style dramedy television series My Generation
, which was cancelled after only 2 episodes due to low ratings.
Stahl-David is currently performing the role of Kevin in the Off-Broadway
play Picked at the Vineyard Theatre
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, perhaps best known for his television role as Sean Donnelly on The Black Donnellys
The Black Donnellys
The Black Donnellys is an American television drama that debuted on NBC on February 26, 2007 and last aired on April 2, 2007. Thereafter, NBC began releasing new episodes weekly on until the series was officially canceled. The Black Donnellys was created by Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco...
and his lead role in the J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
-produced film Cloverfield
Cloverfield
Cloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city...
.
Early life
Stahl-David was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, the son of physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s. He graduated from Columbia College in Chicago, IL. He is the older brother to Eric Stahl-David and R. Andrew Stahl-David, both of whom graduated from Whitney Young High School. Prior to his acting success, Michael Stahl-David was a well known graffiti artist in Chicago, which he has gone on to discuss recently in a Q&A with the Chicago Sun Times.
Career
Stahl-David began his acting career in 2001, when he played a minor role of Rossetti in New Port SouthNew Port South
New Port South is a 2001 drama film. The film is set in the fictional town of New Port, near Chicago. It stars Will Estes, Todd Field, and Blake Shields, was written by James Hughes and directed by Kyle Cooper...
. Later in 2003, he also played a minor role as Craig in Uncle Nino
Uncle Nino
Uncle Nino is a 2003 American movie directed by Robert Shallcross and produced by David James. The film deals with a dysfunctional family, who have lost their way, and a distant relative played by Pierrino Mascarino intends to bring them closer together....
. During this time he was active in the Chicago theater scene. He appeared in plays at the Steppenwolf Theater (One Arm, Theater District), Victory Gardens Theater (Cider House Rules, Lost in Yonkers) and the Goodman (The Goat, Or Who is Sylvia?) Shortly after arriving in New York in 2005, he appeared as Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank at the Papermill Playhouse. In the winter of 2007 he enjoyed critical success in his role in The Overwhelming off Broadway. Stahl-David began his television acting career in 2007, when he made a guest appearance as Riordan Grady in the series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
: episode "Players". Later in that year of 2007, David portrayed Sean Donnelly, one of the four Irish brothers, in the short-lived series The Black Donnellys
The Black Donnellys
The Black Donnellys is an American television drama that debuted on NBC on February 26, 2007 and last aired on April 2, 2007. Thereafter, NBC began releasing new episodes weekly on until the series was officially canceled. The Black Donnellys was created by Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco...
. His most recent film appearance was in J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield
Cloverfield
Cloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city...
as Rob. In September 2008, Stahl-David starred in and directed the web series Michael Stahl-David: Behind the Star on Crackle
Crackle
Crackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
.
Stahl-David appeared in the fall 2010 ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
documentary-style dramedy television series My Generation
My Generation (TV series)
My Generation is an American mockumentary television series that aired on the ABC network in the fall of 2010. The one-hour comedy-drama, produced by ABC Studios, follows a group of high school classmates in Austin, Texas in 2000, then revisits them ten years after graduation...
, which was cancelled after only 2 episodes due to low ratings.
Stahl-David is currently performing the role of Kevin in the Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
play Picked at the Vineyard Theatre
Vineyard Theatre
The Vineyard Theatre is an Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Its first production was in 1981...
Filmography/television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | My Generation My Generation (TV series) My Generation is an American mockumentary television series that aired on the ABC network in the fall of 2010. The one-hour comedy-drama, produced by ABC Studios, follows a group of high school classmates in Austin, Texas in 2000, then revisits them ten years after graduation... |
Steven Foster | TV series |
| 2008 | The Project | Justin | Film Film A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects... |
| Cloverfield Cloverfield Cloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city... |
Robert Hawkins | Film Film A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects... |
|
| T Takes: Room 102 T Takes T Takes is a 2008 Internet-exclusive 12-part series of two- to three-minutes episodic film series, each episode starring a different actor improvising for the camera... |
The Guest in Room 102 | Web Series | |
| 2007 | The Black Donnellys The Black Donnellys The Black Donnellys is an American television drama that debuted on NBC on February 26, 2007 and last aired on April 2, 2007. Thereafter, NBC began releasing new episodes weekly on until the series was officially canceled. The Black Donnellys was created by Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco... |
Sean Donnelly | TV Series |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent Law & Order: Criminal Intent Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama... |
Riordan Grady | TV Series | |
| 2003 | Uncle Nino Uncle Nino Uncle Nino is a 2003 American movie directed by Robert Shallcross and produced by David James. The film deals with a dysfunctional family, who have lost their way, and a distant relative played by Pierrino Mascarino intends to bring them closer together.... |
Craig | Film Film A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects... |
| 2001 | New Port South New Port South New Port South is a 2001 drama film. The film is set in the fictional town of New Port, near Chicago. It stars Will Estes, Todd Field, and Blake Shields, was written by James Hughes and directed by Kyle Cooper... |
Rossetti | Film Film A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects... |