Michael A. Goorjian
Encyclopedia
Michael Antranig Goorjian (born February 4 , 1971) is an American
actor
and filmmaker.
. He has been singing
, acting
, directing, and choreographing
since he was in junior high school
. He grew up in Oakland, the son of an Armenian American NASA
physicist
, in whose footsteps he originally wished to follow, while his mother was a nurse. He began acting in the local theatre at the age of 13.
to attend the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA), where he studied theatre arts. In 1991, Goorjian and his friends established the Buffalo Nights Theatre, which has since won awards.
in 1992, and also during this time he was a regular in the show Party of Five
as well as Life Goes On
. He has also appeared on television
in Touched by an Angel
, Without A Trace
, Sweet Justice
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, Alias
, House
, Lie to Me
, and Under Suspicion
.
, Newsies
, Forever Young
, Leaving Las Vegas
, Do Not Disturb
and SLC Punk!
.
, You Can Heal Your Life (2007) (starring Louise L. Hay) and Ambition to Meaning (starring Dr. Wayne Dyer
), which premiered in January 2009.
, called Blood Drips Heavily on Newsies Square (since retitled to Blood Drips on Newsies Square, 1991).
He has also written, financed, and starred in Something More, The Invisibles, and Illusion
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and filmmaker.
Early life
Goorjian was born and raised in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. He has been singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
, directing, and choreographing
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
since he was in junior high school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
. He grew up in Oakland, the son of an Armenian American NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, in whose footsteps he originally wished to follow, while his mother was a nurse. He began acting in the local theatre at the age of 13.
Theater
Goorjian has worked with many theatrical companies including: Contra Costa Musical Theatre, the Berkeley Shakespeare, and the San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre. During these endeavors he studied acting, directing, and dancing. After finishing high school, Goorjian moved to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to attend the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
(UCLA), where he studied theatre arts. In 1991, Goorjian and his friends established the Buffalo Nights Theatre, which has since won awards.
Television
Goorjian guest-starred on Growing PainsGrowing Pains
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
in 1992, and also during this time he was a regular in the show Party of Five
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...
as well as Life Goes On
Life Goes On (TV series)
Life Goes On is a television series that aired on ABC from September 12, 1989 to May 23, 1993. The show centers on the Thacher family living in suburban Chicago: Drew, his wife Elizabeth, and their children Paige, Rebecca, and Charles, who is known as Corky...
. He has also appeared on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
, Without A Trace
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
, Sweet Justice
Sweet Justice
Sweet Justice is an American legal drama television series starring Cicely Tyson and Melissa Gilbert. The hour-long series ran from September 15, 1994 to April 22, 1995 on NBC.-Premise:...
, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
, House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
, Lie to Me
Lie to Me (TV series)
Lie to Me is an American television series that originally ran on the Fox network from January 21, 2009 to January 31, 2011. In the show, Dr...
, and Under Suspicion
Under Suspicion (TV series)
Under Suspicion was an American television police drama set in Portland, Oregon. It was created by Jacqueline Zambrano. Its episodes were broadcast on the CBS network from September 16, 1994 to March 10, 1995...
.
Movies
He has appeared in feature films such as Hard RainHard Rain (film)
Hard Rain is a 1998 American/British action thriller disaster movie, produced by Mark Gordon, written by Graham Yost and directed by former cinematographer turned director Mikael Salomon...
, Newsies
Newsies
Newsies is a 1992 Disney musical film starring Christian Bale, David Moscow, and Bill Pullman. Robert Duvall and Ann-Margret also appeared in supporting roles. The movie is widely claimed to have gained a cult following after its initial failure at the box office...
, Forever Young
Forever Young (film)
Forever Young is a 1992 film, directed by Steve Miner, starring Mel Gibson, Elijah Wood and Jamie Lee Curtis. The screenplay was written by J.J. Abrams from an original story, "The Rest of Daniel". The original music score is composed by Jerry Goldsmith...
, Leaving Las Vegas
Leaving Las Vegas
Leaving Las Vegas is a 1995 romantic drama film directed and written by Mike Figgis, based on a semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by John O'Brien. Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic who has ended his personal and professional life to drink himself to death in Las Vegas...
, Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb (1999 film)
Do Not Disturb is Dutch thriller film directed, written, produced and composed by Dick Maas. Maas produced it with Laurens Geels...
and SLC Punk!
SLC Punk!
# "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" - The Suicide Machines # "Sex and Violence" - The Exploited# "I Love Livin' in the City" - Fear# "1969" - The Stooges# "Too Hot" - The Specials# "Cretin Hop" - Ramones...
.
Director
Michael has directed two films for Hay HouseHay House
Hay House is a New Thought and Self-help publisher. It was founded in 1987 by author Louise Hay, when she self-published her books Heal Your Body and You Can Heal Your Life...
, You Can Heal Your Life (2007) (starring Louise L. Hay) and Ambition to Meaning (starring Dr. Wayne Dyer
Wayne Dyer
Wayne Walter Dyer is an American self-help advocate, author, and lecturer.- Early life :Dyer was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Melvin Lyle and Hazel Irene Dyer and spent much of his adolescence in an orphanage on the east side of Detroit. Dr. Wayne Dyer is a 1958 graduate of Denby High School;...
), which premiered in January 2009.
Film producer
Goorjian first began producing independent films in his early twenties, when he began filming a short movie on the set of NewsiesNewsies
Newsies is a 1992 Disney musical film starring Christian Bale, David Moscow, and Bill Pullman. Robert Duvall and Ann-Margret also appeared in supporting roles. The movie is widely claimed to have gained a cult following after its initial failure at the box office...
, called Blood Drips Heavily on Newsies Square (since retitled to Blood Drips on Newsies Square, 1991).
He has also written, financed, and starred in Something More, The Invisibles, and Illusion
Illusion (film)
Illusion is an independent feature film released in the year 2004. It was directed by Michael Goorjian and features Kirk Douglas.-Plot:Legendary film director Donald Baines lies dying alone in his private screening room, watching the films he has devoted his life to creating. Having isolated...
.