Michael Heron McLaughlin was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He moved to New York City in 2000 after completing graduate school and began studying acting with Bruce Ornstein, Liz Lewis and several other great NY acting teachers and workshops. After auditioning for soap operas, student films and the many TV shows filming in New York, Michael was cast in off-Broadway plays, like ‘Midsummer’, and several commercials, including becoming the “face” of the Face-Caddy.
Ultimately, Michael began acting to become a better front man and musician. He formed his first bands, performing throughout NYC and recorded 10 original songs on 2 EPs. His bands were blues/rock focused but influenced by bands across the rock spectrum. What catches the listener’s ear more than anything is the passion and lyrical constructs of the songs. You can hear examples of his music by clicking on the music tab on this page . However, like so many great rock and roll stories, the bands broke up due to artistic differences and musical direction. There were rumors of reunions but nothing surfaced, except the occasional surprise acoustic gigs around town.
Michael then began a several-year quest for new creative outlets, visiting Europe and spending time in Morocco seeking inspiration. In the spring of 2018, he rekindled his passion for acting and creating characters and is seeking to fulfill his need to create and be inspired. The years of personal searching have only filled him with an even greater availability and access to emotion and a renewed instrument with which to work. Experience, repetition, and never giving up are Michael’s keys to life and work. Experience may be the most critical for an actor – it’s less to do with age and more about understanding and analyzing our shared human behavior and Michael’s rich experience gives him more tools to access for any given character he is creating.
Michael is currently involved in a weekly improv exercise group and is writing original music, and attending various intensives. Michael looks forward to studying at the Barrow Group Theater this spring.