Marc Macaulay

Marc Macaulay is an actor who's just got one of those faces -- you know you've seen it somewhere before but you just can't seem to put your finger on it. Of course, one glance at the screen veteran's credit list and movie fanatics will instantly realize that they have indeed seen Macaulay numerous times on screens both large and small, it's just that he has a way of immersing himself in the role so effectively that it's difficult to distinguish which performance stood out the most.

It was during his junior year of college that the aspiring commercial illustrator accepted a dare to audition for an upcoming play, yet while the friend who issued that challenge was well on his way to becoming a professional actor, Macaulay himself had never even considered a career in the performing arts. When the cast list was posted and Macaulay discovered that he had landed one of the lead roles, however, the course of his entire life would suddenly be altered by the decision of one single casting director. After receiving a scholarship for acting and graduating with a BFA in theater, Macaulay relocated to Jupiter, FL, in order to attend the Burt Reynolds Institute of Theatre Training. While a move to New York seemed only natural for Macaulay upon finishing his training in Florida, acting gigs in the Big Apple were few and far between. After racking up a few film credits and continuing his studies at H.B. Studios, Macaulay eventually returned to the Sunshine State to audition for a new series called Miami Vice (1984).

Over the course of the following decade, Macaulay was swept up in a whirlwind of supporting roles. From short-lived series like B.L. Stryker and Wiseguy to major motion pictures such as Edward Scissorhands, Passenger 57, Contact, and The Truman Show, the workman-like actor could always be counted on to deliver a convincing, well-mannered performance. While frequent roles in such shows as Matlock, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Nash Bridges provided a bit of stability in a notoriously volatile industry, the increasingly busy actor largely earned his keep by continually leaping from the big screen to the small -- all the while displaying impressive footing on both. By the year 2000, casting directors were finally wising up to the true talent at their disposal, and Macaulay was landing consistent work in feature films. Never tied to just one genre, Macaulay turned in impressive performances in films as diverse as From Justin to Kelly, Monster, Transporter 2, and The Hawk Is Dying (opposite Academy Award-nominee Paul Giamatti). A minor role in the 2006 feature film Miami Vice served well to bring Macaulay's career full circle.

In 2006, Macaulay could be seen in a recurring role on the popular Fox drama Prison Break, with subsequent parts in the feature films Premonition and Walking Tall 2 preceding yet another small-screen recurring role in the weekly USA Network thriller Burn Notice in 2007.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide