About
My name is Michael Marc Friedman and I grew up in a very working class neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia. My dad was a carpenter and my mom was a nursery school teacher. I loved performing as a kid as it would keep me from getting my ass kicked “most” of the time. I did stand-up for the first time in high-school and moved to New York and performed three times a night at all of the comedy clubs while attending The New York Neighborhood Playhouse two-year program. I accomplished one of the biggest honors of my life by becoming a Lifetime Member of The Actor’s Studio in both New York and Los Angeles.
I love stand-up and credit the performing of it to my understanding of storytelling and writing. Storytelling is my passion. I very quickly realized when I moved out to Los Angeles 15 years ago that I wasn’t going to be able to continue in this business waiting for the phone to ring. I had to create my own opportunities. So I created a show based on my life called “The Super Man.” That show single-handedly changed my life. It led to a meeting with The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia guys and a series regular role on a Fox Comedy Pilot called Living Loaded. I was unrepresented at the time.
Over the last 25 years, I have performed in over 30 stage plays and have been a working actor, appearing in and voicing over 50 national commercials including Taco Bell, Toyota and Hyundai. I have guest starred in comedies and dramas including Blue Bloods, The Rookie, Modern Family, Brooklyn 99 and NCIS and am currently recurring on The CBS drama S.W.A.T. as Sgt. Becker.
Recently, I wrote and starred in a dark comedy called “Kensington” which won for best pilot at The Soho International Film Festival and HollyShorts and is being pitched around town as a series. I am also in production on my next project that I wrote which also takes place in Philadelphia called “Strawberry Mansion”.
I am passionate about helping actors stay inspired in their work, whether it is finding the truth of an audition piece or guiding someone with a project that they are trying to develop. The key is to focus on what is in your control and let that be your relentless pursuit. It’s a fantastic time to be an artist!
