Michael Urie

Michael Lorenzo Urie is an American actor who gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Marc St. James on the comedy-drama series Ugly Betty and his performance as Brian on the Apple TV+ series Shrinking. For his role in Shrinking, he earned a Critics Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor alongside two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations in the same category. His career spans extensive work across television, film, theater, and audiobook narration.

Urie was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Plano. He is of Scottish and Italian heritage and graduated from Plano Senior High School in 1998. He initially attended Collin County Community College before enrolling at the Juilliard School in New York City, where he was a member of the Drama Division's Group 32 from 1999 to 2003. During his studies at Juilliard, Urie performed in the 2001 premiere of the play Love and Happiness and was awarded the John Houseman Prize for Excellence in Classical Theatre in 2002.

In addition to his classical theater training in Shakespeare, Jacobean drama, and commedia dell'arte, Urie served as casting director and board member for Plum Productions, where he produced and performed in various shows. His major television breakthrough occurred in 2006 when he was cast in Ugly Betty. Originally brought on as a guest performer, his on-screen dynamic with co-star Vanessa Williams led to his promotion as a full-time series regular during the first season. Urie shared Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for ensemble performance with the cast in 2007 and 2008, earned an Ewwy Award nomination in 2009, and remained with the series until 2010.

Following his breakthrough, Urie expanded his television presence by hosting the reality series Miss America: Reality Check and the Logo TV program Cocktails & Classics. He played lead and recurring roles in television series such as Partners and Younger. On screen, he provided voice work for the 2008 film Beverly Hills Chihuahua, appeared in the 2012 adaptation Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, and starred in the 2021 holiday romantic comedy Single All the Way.

On stage, Urie originated the role of Rudi Gernreich in the off-Broadway production of The Temperamentals, winning a Lucille Lortel Award. He made his Broadway debut in 2012 in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starred in the solo show Buyer & Cellar in 2013—winning a Drama Desk Award and a Clarence Derwent Award—and later starred in the 2018 Broadway revival of Torch Song. He also played the title role in Hamlet for the Shakespeare Theatre Company. In addition to audio work on podcasts such as As the Curtain Rises, he narrated Shelby Van Pelt's audiobook Remarkably Bright Creatures, which became an Audie Award finalist in 2023.

In his personal life, Urie identifies as queer and a member of the LGBT community. He has been in a relationship with actor and writer Ryan Spahn since 2008.