Michael Rapaport
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- March 20, 1970 (age 56)
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, USA
Biography
Michael Rapaport is an American actor, comedian, and podcast host who has built a prolific, decades-long career playing memorable characters across film, television, and comedy. Emerging in the early 1990s as a distinct character actor known for his gritty New York persona, fast-talking delivery, and comedic timing, he made his feature film debut in Zebrahead (1992) before landing his breakout dramatic role as a naive marine in Tony Scott's crime classic True Romance (1993). He quickly established himself as a versatile fixture of '90s cinema, delivering standout performances in critically acclaimed films such as Poetic Justice (1993), John Singleton's Higher Learning (1995), Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995), the crime drama Cop Land (1997), and the comedy Deep Blue Sea (1999). In television, Rapaport has maintained an equally robust presence, starring as Phoebe Buffay's police officer boyfriend Gary in NBC’s Friends, playing the lead role of a suburban father in the Fox sitcom The War at Home, and taking on major dramatic arcs in critically acclaimed series like Boston Public, Justified, Atypical, and Only Murders in the Building. Beyond scripted acting and voice work—including his prominent voice role as Ogre in the animated series The PJs—he has achieved widespread recognition as a sports and political commentator, documentary filmmaker (directing the acclaimed Beats, Rhymes & Travels: A Tribe Called Quest Documentary), and host of several popular podcasts, cementing his status as a ubiquitous and outspoken fixture in modern American entertainment.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Trophy King
Movie · as Greg Geary
Last Shot
Movie
The Line
TV · 1 ep
Matchmaking 3
Movie
October 8
Movie · as Self
I'll Be Right There
Movie · as Marshall
Stealing Jokes
Movie · as Louie
Don't F**k with Ghosts
Movie · as Self
Fallout
TV · as Knight Titus · 1 ep
The Choice Is Yours
Movie · as Self
Glisten and the Merry Mission
Movie · as Grizz (voice)
Carol & the End of the World
TV · as (voice) · 1 ep
The Traitors
TV · as Self - Contestant · 6 eps
Life & Beth
TV · as Leonard · 10 eps
Conflicted
Movie · as Mike
kid 90
Movie · as Self
Only Murders in the Building
TV · as Detective Kreps · 4 eps
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
TV · as Self - Contestant · 1 ep
The Follow-Up
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Five Golden Rings
Movie
Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story
Movie · as Bill Fitch
Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate
Movie · as Self
100%: Julian Edelman
Movie · as Self
The Masked Singer
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Lights Out with David Spade
TV · as Self - Panelist · 1 ep
The After Party
Movie · as Self (Uncredited)
Chuck
Movie · as John Wepner
The New Edition Story
TV · as Gary Evans · 3 eps
Atypical
TV · as Doug Gardner · 38 eps
The Guest Book
TV · as Adam · 2 eps
White Famous
TV · as Teddy Snow · 8 eps
Steve
TV · as Self · 1 ep
A Stand Up Guy
Movie · as Colin
Sully
Movie · as Bartender - Pete
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
Movie · as Animation Voice (voice)
The $100,000 Pyramid
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Crisis in Six Scenes
TV · as Trooper · 6 eps
Little Boy
Movie · as James Busbee
Living the Fantasy
Movie · as Narrator
Public Morals
TV · as Charlie Bullman · 10 eps
Hot Ones
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
My Man Is a Loser
Movie · as Marty
black-ish
TV · as Jay Simmons · 1 ep
The Heat
Movie · as Jason Mullins
Last I Heard
Movie · as Bobby DiBianco
NB90s
Movie
The Baytown Outlaws
Movie · as Lucky
Should've Been Romeo
Movie · as Danny
Kiss of the Damned
Movie · as Ben Rider
The Mob Doctor
TV · as Paul Moretti · 1 ep
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
Movie · as Self
Inside Out
Movie · as Jack Small
NB80s
Movie · as Self
The Deported
Movie · as Himself
Pound Puppies
TV · as Squirt (voice) · 65 eps
Raising Hope
TV · as Michael · 1 ep
Justified
TV · as Daryl Crowe Jr. · 13 eps
A Day in the Life
Movie · as Detective Grant
Big Fan
Movie · as Philadelphia Phil
Accidentally on Purpose
TV · as Sully · 2 eps
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV · as Self - Guest · 31 eps
Celebrity Ghost Stories
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Assassination of a High School President
Movie · as Coach Z
The Wendy Williams Show
TV · as Self, Self - Guest Host · 1 ep
The Miley and Mandy Show
TV · 1 ep
Fugly
Movie · as Jack
The Big Bang Theory
TV · as Kenny Fitzgerald · 1 ep
Live Free or Die
Movie · as Putney
Special
Movie · as Les Franken
Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness
Movie · as DJ (voice)
Push
Movie · as Tommy G
It Ain't Easy
Movie
Grilled
Movie · as Bobby
Talkshow with Spike Feresten
TV · 1 ep
Hitch
Movie · as Ben
America Brown
Movie · as Daniel Brown
The War at Home
TV · as Dave Gold · 44 eps
Too Late with Adam Carolla
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Prison Break
TV · as Donald Self · 22 eps
My Name Is Earl
TV · as Frank Stump · 6 eps
This Girl's Life
Movie · as Terry
Cop Land: The Making of an Urban Western
Movie · as Himself
The Tony Danza Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
A Good Night to Die
Movie · as August
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV · as Self, Self - Guest · 2 eps
Eretz Nehederet
TV · as Dumbledore, Oscar Host · 1 ep
Triggermen
Movie · as Tommy O'Brian
Paper Soldiers
Movie · as Mike E.
Comic Book Villains
Movie · as Norman Link
29 Palms
Movie · as The Cop
Chain of Fools
Movie · as Hitman
Dr. Dolittle 2
Movie · as Joey the Raccoon (Voice)
The Making of 'Bamboozled'
Movie · as Self
Dinner for Five
TV · 1 ep
Night Visions
TV · as Harlow Winton (segment "Darkness") · 1 ep
Small Time Crooks
Movie · as Denny
Lucky Numbers
Movie · as Dale
Bamboozled
Movie · as Thomas Dunwitty
The 6th Day
Movie · as Hank Morgan
King of the Jungle
Movie · as Francis
Men of Honor
Movie · as GM1 Snowhill
Next Friday
Movie · as Mailman with Tax Notice (uncredited)
Boston Public
TV · as Danny Hanson · 59 eps
Kiss Toledo Goodbye
Movie · as Kevin Gower
Deep Blue Sea
Movie · as Tom Scoggins
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV · as Richie Caskey · 1 ep
The Naked Man
Movie · as Edward Bliss Jr.
Palmetto
Movie · as Donnelly
Some Girl
Movie · as Neal
Rescuers: Stories of Courage - Two Families
Movie · as Szarany
Rude Awakening
TV · as Johnny · 1 ep
Cop Land
Movie · as Murray "Superboy" Babitch
Metro
Movie · as Kevin McCall
Kicked in the Head
Movie · as Stretch
A Brother's Kiss
Movie · as Stingy
Subway Stories
Movie · as Jake (segment "The Listeners")
EP Daily
TV · 1 ep
The Pallbearer
Movie · as Brad Schorr
Beautiful Girls
Movie · as Paul Kirkwood
Illtown
Movie · as Dante
Kiss of Death
Movie · as Ronnie Gannon
Mighty Aphrodite
Movie · as Kevin
Higher Learning
Movie · as Remy
The Basketball Diaries
Movie · as Skinhead
MADtv
TV · as Abraham Lincoln · 1 ep
The Scout
Movie · as Tommy Lacy
The Foot Shooting Party
Movie · as Lizard
Hand Gun
Movie · as Lenny
Friends
TV · as Gary · 4 eps
ER
TV · as Paul Canterna · 1 ep
True Romance
Movie · as Dick Ritchie
Point of No Return
Movie · as Big Stan
Money for Nothing
Movie · as Kenny Kozlowski
Poetic Justice
Movie · as Dockworker
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV · as Self - Guest · 4 eps
Late Show with David Letterman
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Zebrahead
Movie · as Zack
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
TV · as Mike · 1 ep
The Simpsons
TV · as Mike Wegman (voice) · 3 eps
China Beach
TV · 1 ep