Michael Chernus

Michael Chernus was born on August 8, 1977, in Rocky River, Ohio. His interest in acting began at a young age, leading him to play Gandalf in a stage adaptation of “The Hobbit” at 13. He further pursued his passion by taking classes at the Beck Center in Lakewood, Ohio, before moving to New York to study acting at the Juilliard School’s Drama Division, graduating as part of Group 28. His early career included significant work in theater, cultivating a foundation for his subsequent success in diverse roles.

Chernus has built a career marked by both critical and popular roles. His filmography includes appearances in major motion pictures such as “Men in Black 3” (2012), “Captain Phillips” (2013), and “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017), where he played Phineas Mason/The Tinkerer. On television, he gained recognition as Cal Chapman in the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black” (2013-2019) and has a main role as Dr. Ricken Lazlo Hale in the Apple TV+ series “Severance” (2022–present). His stage work is also extensive, earning him an OBIE Award in 2011 and a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for “In the Wake” at The Public Theater.

His career highlights include co-starring with David Hyde Pierce in the Manhattan Theater Club production of “Close Up Space” and with America Ferrera in the revival of Terence McNally’s “Lips Together, Teeth Apart.” Chernus also performed in Annie Baker’s “The Aliens,” which The New York Times named the best play of 2010. More recently, he starred as Tom in the Peabody Award-winning miniseries “Dead Ringers” (2023) and is set to portray John Wayne Gacy in the upcoming Peacock series “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” in 2025.