Michael Benjamin Washington
American actor
Michael Benjamin Washington is an American actor with screen roles spanning American Auto, 100 Questions, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. His career began on Broadway, first appearing in Mamma Mia! as part of the musical's original cast.
01Early and personal life
Washington was born in Dallas, Texas. He is a YoungArts alumnus. In 1997, he was named a Presidential Scholar of the Arts as part of the 1997 U.S Presidential Scholars Program. Afterwards, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, with a Journalism minor.
02Career
Stage
Washington has several Broadway credits, beginning with the jukebox musical Mamma Mia! in 2001. He was cast in the 2002 Funny Girl benefit concert, followed by the 2004 revival of La Cage aux Folles. Washington later took dramatic roles in plays, with the 2018 revival of The Boys in the Band and the 2026 revival of Death of a Salesman.
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Love & Other Drugs | Richard | |
| 2020 | The Boys in the Band | Bernard |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Jury | Myles | Episode: "Bangers" |
| 2005 | Hope & Faith | Angst-Ridden Performer | Episode: "Hope in the Middle" |
| 2009 | Law & Order | George Lafferty | Episode: "Bailout" |
| 2009-10 | 30 Rock | Donald | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | 10 Things I Hate About You | Winston the Waiter | Episode: "Great Expectations" |
| 2010 | Glee | Tracy Pendergrass | Episode: "Home" |
| 2010 | 100 Questions | Andrew | 6 episodes |
| 2010 | Open Books | Ray | Television film |
| 2013 | Wendell & Vinnie | Deke | Episode: "Baseball and Bad Dates" |
| 2014 | Save the Date | Wedding Planner | Television film |
| 2017 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Ruben | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | Ratched | Trevor Briggs | 3 episodes |
| 2021-23 | American Auto | Cyrus Knight | 23 episodes |
| 2023 | Until the Wedding | Sam | Pilot |
| 2023 | We Baby Bears | Caterpillar (voice) | Episode: "Bug City Frame Up" |
| 2025 | Godfather of Harlem | James Baldwin | season 4 |
| 2026 | Not Suitable for Work | Antoine | Recurring |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Michael Benjamin Washington”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.