Michael Boatman
Biography
Michael Boatman is an American actor and writer from Colorado Springs who grew up in Chicago. He trained in acting at Western Illinois University and earned the Irene Ryan award as best supporting actor at the Kennedy Center finals. He moved to Chicago in 1986, then won the part of Motown in the Vietnam War film Hamburger Hill (1987). He also appeared in Running on Empty (1988). He played Samuel Beckett on China Beach. On the ABC sitcom Spin City he portrayed Carter Heywood, a role that brought five NAACP Image Award nominations and a GLAAD award. He was also Stanley Babson on HBO's Arli$$. He led Charles Burnett's The Glass Shield (1994) and appeared in The Peacemaker (1997) and The Shade (2023). He later played Julius Cain on The Good Wife and The Good Fight. He is also a horror author whose first collection, God Laughs When You Die, was published in 2007.
61years old
Turns 62 on October 25in 13 days
- Born Colorado Springs
- Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
- Also credited as Michael Patrick Boatman
Movie Career
- Films
- 8
- Career span
- 36 years1987 to 2023
First and latest
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Early training
At Western Illinois University, Michael Boatman trained in acting and took parts such as Purlie in Purlie Victorious and Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He also performed with Shock Treatment, a student sketch comedy group.
First role
Boatman relocated to Chicago in 1986 and took acting lessons from Jane Brody, a casting director and well-liked acting teacher. That same year he tried out for and landed the part of "Motown" in the Vietnam action drama Hamburger Hill.
Behind the camera
God Laughs When You Die, Boatman's first collection of short stories, was published by Dybbuk Press on October 23, 2007.
Michael Boatman movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Worked with
Michael Boatman shares two films with George Clooney, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
George Clooney's page
Wallace Shawn's page
Nicole Kidman's page
Colleen Camp's page
Elliott Gould's page
Don Cheadle's page
Mimi LederDirector, 1 film, 1997
All films by Mimi Leder
All films by John Irvin
All films by Sidney Lumet
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.