After graduating from the State University of New York at New Paltz (where he met and acted with John Turturro), former altar boy Michael Badalucco joined Local 52, his father's union, and began working in the movies as a prop man. His first big break came when Robert De Niro saw him (and Turturro) in an off-Broadway production of a Sam Shepard play, leading to a small speaking role in "Raging Bull" (1980). His acting career was slow to take off, however, and over the next decade and a half he continued to work behind-the-scenes, often doing double duty by playing bit roles for directors like John Badham and Nora Ephron. Dark-haired and slightly pudgy, Badalucco had the perfect "look" for the character bits as policemen, drivers, food workers and other assorted blue collar personnel in which he was cast. College buddy Turturro, however, came to the rescue by casting him as the garrulous middle brother in an Italian family of construction workers in Turturro's directorial debut, "Mac" (1992). Badalucco shone in the role, particularly in a humorous monologue about the importance of a man's charisma and size in his appeal to women. He brought the same gifts to the thankless role as the oldest virgin in his neighborhood in the uneven comedy "The Search for One-Eyed Jimmy" (lensed in 1993; released in 1996). While playing yet another cop in "One Fine Day" (also 1996), Badalucco caught the attention of star Michelle Pfeiffer who in turn recommended him to her husband, writer-producer David E Kelley. Badalucco had auditioned for a small role in "The Practice" (ABC, 1997- ), one of Kelley's proposed legal dramas. But after Pfeiffer's intervention, Kelley tailored the part of Jimmy Berluti to the actor's unique gifts. Introduced as a slightly shifty, scrappy lawyer with questionable morals and little courtroom experience, the character has gradually shifted to one of the moral centers of the staff in part because of Badalucco's natural charm. He went on to portray the notorious 'Son of Sam' killer David Berkowitz in Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam" (1999) and offered a fine cameo as George ("don't call me Baby Face") Nelson in the Coen brothers' "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000). The following year, he reteamed with the Coens to play a barber in the noirish drama "The Man Who Wasn't There".
Profession(s):
Actor, property man
Sometimes Credited As:
Mike Badalucco
Emmy Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series "The Practice" 1998 - 1999
2001 Reteamed with the Coen brothers to play a barber in the period drama "The Man Who Wasn't There"
2000 Offered nice cameo as bank robber George Nelson in the Coen brothers' "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
1999 Cast as David Berkowitz, the 'Son of Sam' killer, in Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam"
1997 TV series debut as a regular playing attorney Jimmy Berluti on the ABC drama series "The Practice"; Pfeiffer had recommended the actor to her husband David E Kelley, the series creator and chief write
1997 Played Eric the Soda Man in John Andrew Gallagher's "The Deli"
1996 Had co-starring role in "The Search for One-Eye Jimmy" (filmed in 1993)
1996 Worked with Michelle Pfeiffer on "One Fine Day"; played small role of a cop
1994 Acted and worked as assistant properties master for Ephron's "Mixed Nuts"; to date, last behind-the-scenes credit
1993 Appeared in "Sleepless in Seattle", credited as Mike Badalucco
1992 Acted in Turturro's directorial debut, "Mac"
1991 Had bit role and served as property for John Badham's "The Hard Way"
1989 Worked as a prop man on Seidelman's feature "She-Devil"
1988 Worked as props assistant and played a small role of a cop in "Bright Lights, Big City"
1985 Played bit role as a guy from Brooklyn in Susan Seidelman's "Desperately Seeking Susan"; Turturro also appeared
1984 Acted in Allen's "Broadway Danny Rose"
1980 Had first speaking role in a film in Scorsese's "Raging Bull", starring De Niro
1979 Worked as a prop man on Woody Allen's "Manhattan"
1978 First feature credit as a set dresser assistant on "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground", directed by John G Avildsen
1964 His trips with father to movie sets led to him posing for a photograph that was used in "Fail-Safe", starring Henry Fonda
Appeared in over twenty productions with the New Paltz Repertory Company
Joined Local 52 (his father's union) as a prop man
Appeared with John Turturro in stage production of Sam Shepard's "The Tooth of Crime"; Robert De Niro saw the play, and suggest both actors to Martin Scorsese
