Michael Rosenbaum Biography

Michael Rosenbaum
Biography

Birth Name
Michael Owen Rosenbaum
Date of birth (location)
11 July 1972
Oceanside, Long Island, New York, USA

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Hailing from Oceanside, New York and raised in Indiana, actor Michael Rosenbaum has in his short career become something of a minor phenomenon. His most prominent role to date—that of famed Superman arch rival and criminal mastermind Lex Luthor on the hit WB series, “Smallville” (2001- )—has propelled the previously unknown actor into the limelight. Prior to his popular stint on “Smallville”, the actor played several small roles in feature films while appearing regularly on television. In the short time he’s been acting professionally, Rosenbaum has steadily increased his profile, particularly in drama—ironic, since he has considered his sharp wit to be his greatest asset.

Rosenbaum started acting in high school—he landed a role in a school production after a bet. He quickly became absorbed in performing and attended the Western Kentucky University, earning his Bachelor’s in Communication and Theater. Despite his love of performing onstage, Rosenbaum wanted to move into onscreen roles. He moved to New York City, where he continued to perform in theaters, mainly off-Broadway, while appearing in low-budget independent films. His first real paying gig was on “The Conan O’Brien Show” (NBC, 1993- ) in a series of comedy sketches called “The Amsterdam Kids”, where he played an Amsterdam kid perpetually confused about the city’s liberal social policies. The sketch always did well on the late-night show and gave Rosenbaum the exposure to land bigger parts.

His first regular series role was on the short-lived sitcom “The Tom Show” (WB, 1997-8), starring the inexplicable Tom Arnold—the show lasted a scant 19 episodes before being canceled. Meanwhile, Rosenbaum broke into film with a small part in the Clint Eastwood directed “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” (1997). A couple more movies dotted his resume—the unreleased comedy “1999” (1997) and “Urban Legend” (1998), one of the many teen horror flicks to clog theaters in the 1990’s. In 1999, Rosenbaum returned to television as Jack Cooper on another short-lived WB series, “Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane” (1999-2000). Meanwhile, the actor began doing voice-over work, providing his vocal talents for the animated “Batman Beyond” (WB, 1999-2002). After appearing in the Keanu Reeves-Charlize Theron saccharine romance, “Sweet November” (2001), Rosenbaum donned a short skirt and wig to pledge a sorority in the dismal cross-dressing comedy, “Sorority Boys” (2002).

In 2001, Rosenbaum landed the role of a life time as the morally slippery Lex Luther on “Smallville”. Telling the story of a 15 year-old Clark Kent and his struggles with being a teenager and a budding superhero to boot, “Smallville” became one of the few hits to emerge from the WB. Though in the past Luthor had been a mortal enemy of Superman—both in movies and in comic books—“Smallville” depicted the two as friends for their formative years—though the friendship has seen its challenges. Meanwhile, Rosenbaum has used his newfound celebrity to branch out into other projects. He has provided the voice of Flash on “Justice League” (Cartoon Network, 2001-2004), while appearing in several movies large and small. In “Poolhall Junkies” (2003), he played the younger brother of a pool hustler (Mars Callahan) who tries to emulate his older sibling, much to his dismay. He also appeared as a cocky lawyer who gets his ass kicked by Queen Latifah in “Bringing Down the House” (2003), starring one of his idols, Steve Martin. Rosenbaum performed more voiceover work in the hybrid live action-animated feature, “Racing Stripes” (2005), as a thoroughbred-in-training, Ruffshod.