About Michael
Michael Leigh Cook is a German actor and screenwriter, known for playing historical characters and villainous roles on stage as well as on screen. Since 2012 he has been primarily working in the United States. From Oct. 2023 - February 2024 he played the role of Herr Fahrenkopf in Tennessee Williams's The Night of the Iguana at the Signature Theatre New York, directed by Tony-Award winner Emily Mann, starring Tim Daly, Lea DeLaria and Daphne Rubin-Vega. He is a member of the American Equity Association (AEA) and SAG-AFTRA. In 2015 he received the Orson Welles award. Michael resides in Berlin and New York.
Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Michael was abandoned by both of his parents right after birth and placed in an orphanage. He grew up in a state--operated children's home. Early on, he developed great interest in ancient cultures, literature and theater, fields, in which he would soon find his calling. After finishing school he moved to Berlin where he began studying acting. His first stage play The Intrusion, written at the age of 22, earned him a fellowship at the Literarische Colloquium (LCB).
He studied at HB Studio in New York, where he was coached by Academy Award winner Mercedes Ruehl (Scene Study Masterclass) and BAFTA winner Jonathan Lynn (Shakespeare).
Considered by many to be a versatile character actor, Michael portrayed several real life figures, such as: Victor Kugler (Mr. Kraler) in: The Diary of Anne Frank (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), Walter Benjamin, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, FBI agent Roy De Vecchio, Claus von Bülow.
He appeared in various European TV-productions: Derrick, Die Wache, Medicopter 117, (Vienna), Die Männer vom K3. Notable stage performances include: The role of Fabrice De Simieuse in Jean Anouilh's Mr. Ornifle (EU-Tour), the lead in: Paradise for Three (Hansa-Theater) and a lead role in the world premiere of Terezin (Playwrights Horizons, Off Broadway).
Michael has served as co-producer on stage- and film productions, most notably on If The Trees Could Talk, winner of 27 awards. He enjoys traveling, hiking, literature, photography, sports and spending time with his cats. Currently, he is in the midst of refining his second screenplay, which received positive reviews in the United States.
