Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

These actors totally transform for their roles. See them in some of their most memorable moments.

The Greatest Character Actors of All Time

Celebrate some of the most iconic Asian actors from film and television, from [link=/name/nm1231899/]Priyanka Chopra Jonas[/link] to [link=/name/nm0702841]Ke Huy Quan[/link], plus many more.

Asian Icons of Film and Television

Celebrate some of the most iconic Asian actors from film and television, from <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm1231899/?ref_=nmwrk_eds_right-7_lk">Priyanka Chopra Jonas</a> to <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm0702841?ref_=nmwrk_eds_right-7_lk">Ke Huy Quan</a>, plus many more.

New Yorker through and through, Michael Rapaport was born on March 20, 1970, in Manhattan, to June Brody, a radio personality, and David Rapaport, a radio program manager. He is of Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish descent.

Rapaport moved to Los Angeles to try stand-up comedy following high school graduation (which came after a series of expulsions), but he never lost, forgot or deserted his New York roots. It's embedded in his work and is a major part of his low-keyed charm and ongoing appeal. His early idols were also New Yorkers (Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, etc.).

Within a short amount of time Michael moved from the live comedy stage to working in front of a camera. The two developed an immediate rapport. A guest spot on the TV series China Beach (1988) led to a starring role in the quirky interracial indie Zebrahead (1992), which clinched it for him. This, in turn, led to a string of standout parts in films, such as Christian Slater's pal in True Romance (1993), an edgy collegiate-turned-skinhead in Higher Learning (1995) and a sympathetic none-too-bright boxer in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995), all enabling him to build up a higher profile.

In later years, Michael managed to show his ease at offbeat comedy, demonstrating a kid-like, goofy charm as Lisa Kudrow's cop boyfriend for a few episodes on Friends (1994) and as teacher Danny Hanson on Boston Public (2000).

He later formed his own production company, Release Entertainment, in search of that one big breakout role that could nab top stardom for him. In later years, his offbeat character leads included an inducted mafioso in Kiss Toledo Goodbye (1999); a hit man in the action comedy A Good Night to Die (2003); a comic book fanatic in the sci-fi comedy Special (2006); a trouble-making buddy in crime drama Inside Out (2011); a man helping out his former gangster neighbor in the dramedy Once Upon a Time in Queens (2013); and a married guy trying to get his mojo back in the comedy My Man Is a Loser (2014). For the most part, however, he served extremely well in support of other prominent stars with weird-to-bizarre featured roles for Woody Allen in his crime comedy Small Time Crooks (2000); for Arnold Schwarzenegger in the futuristic actioneer The 6th Day (2000); for Will Smith in the romantic /comedy Hitch (2005); for Ray Romano and Kevin James in the comedy crimer Grilled (2006); for Billy Bob Thornton in the action comedy The Baytown Outlaws (2012); for Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in the crime comedy The Heat (2013); and for Tom Hanks in the biopic Sully (2016).

Rapaport married writer Nicole Beatty in 2000 and divorced seven years later after having two children. In 2016, he married actress Kebe Dunn.

Music video for LL Cool J: &quot;Deepest Bluest&quot;

Contributed a spoken word performance alongside Moon Zappa on Frank Zappa&#39;s final CD, &quot;Civilization Phaze III&quot;.

Did a hip-hop track called &quot;How to rob an actor&quot; featured on the High &amp; Mighty&#39;s 2003 album &quot;The Highlight Zone&quot;.

Appeared on <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm1252067/?ref_=nmwrk">Talib Kweli</a>&#39;s album &quot;Quality&quot; (2002)

He played a police agent in Jay-Z&#39;s &quot;The city is mine&quot; video, in it he uses is real name (family name)

Appeared in the video for Ludacris&#39; &quot;Runaway Love&quot;

Had a cameo appearance on TLC&#39;s &quot;10 Years Younger&quot; in the 2004 episode &quot;Felicia Gets Her Groove Back&quot; where he critiqued Felicia&#39;s look before being transformed by the professionals.

(2017) Music video for <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm3404131/?ref_=nmwrk">Sean Price</a>: &quot;Dead or Alive&quot;

(2017) Book: &quot;This Book Has Balls: Sports Rants from the MVP of Talking Trash&quot;. New York: Touchstone Books. ISBN 1501160311

Other works

Michael Rapaport

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