Biography for
Michael Wincott More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

21 January 1958, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Birth Name

Michael Anthony Claudio Wincott

Height

5' 10½" (1.79 m)

Mini Biography

Over more than thirty years, Michael Wincott has gained the reputation of a respected and uncompromising actor. Born in Scarborough, Ontario, he eventually moved to New York City where he graduated from Juilliard in 1986 and began a relationship with Joseph Papp's Public Theatre beginning with his creation of the role of Kent in Eric Bogosian's Talk Radio. (He reprised the role for the 1988 Oliver Stone film.) He last appeared onstage in New York opposite John Malkovich in Sam Shepard's States of Shock originating the role of Stubbs. He has worked with some of cinema's most gifted contributors including Julian Schnabel, Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Jim Jarmusch, Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu, Benicio Del Toro and Javier Bardem. He wants to do a film with Isabelle Huppert in Paris. Then perhaps live there.

IMDb Mini Biography By: edith grove

Trade Mark

Deeply rasping voice

Long hair (in most of his better known roles), today is short

Frequently plays villains, both leading and supporting

Trivia

The Juilliard School (Drama Division), 1982-1986 (graduated).

Younger brother of Jeff Wincott.

He plays a multitude of instruments including drums, harmonica, guitar and piano.

Of English and Italian descent.

His favorite musician is Keith Richards.

He played drums in jazz band as a kid.

He is known for his apathetic stance on celebrity and the ideals of Hollywood, often stating that he holds art in higher regard than money.

Has been in two films of Alexandre Dumas' works - The Three Musketeers (1993) Rochefort and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) Dorleac.

Personal Quotes

[on his role in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) as Guy of Gisborne] It's always so much more interesting to play the villains, and this guy is a real son of a bitch.

I never get the girl - I always die. That is the catch with playing bad. I'm actually a very romantic person, and I would like to play in a love story. As long as it doesn't get too sweet. That's not me.

You have to be careful so you don't make your character dull and predictable. Sometimes you have to bend the script a little... The bad guys are mostly the same on the paper... A bad guy wouldn't think of himself as bad. The guy I'm playing in Metro (1997) thinks of himself as a responsible and nice guy, since he is taking care of his retarded cousin. That is what I try to keep in mind, when I'm shooting and stabbing people.

You get to hear it so often - this is your time, this is your movie - finally you just don't listen anymore. Especially character actors, they are as leaves in the wind. There is a saying about the one who wants to amuse the gods never plans his life. He must have been an actor... You never get the role you have worked so hard for, but the dream role, the one who gives you joy, money and maybe even honor, that one just falls into your lap.

My worst work happens when I get obedient.