Biography
Best-known for his portrayal of Piper's slacker brother in "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix, 2013-), character actor Michael Chernus also played key roles in "Lovely by Surprise" (2007), "Captain Phillips" (2013) and "Manhattan" (WGN America, 2014-). Born in Rocky River, OH in 1977, Chernus studied at the Juilliard School's Drama Division before making his on-screen debut in indie family drama "Winter Passing" (2005). Two years later, Chernus was cast as Humkin, a fictional creation who escapes from the pages of a novel, in "Lovely by Surprise" (2007), and following minor roles in war tale "The Messenger" (2009), neo-noir sitcom "Bored to Death" (HBO, 2009-2011) and small-town drama "Nonames" (2010), he bagged his first recurring part as Ryan Flanagan in medical series "Mercy" (NBC, 2009-2010). After adding romantic comedy "Love and Other Drugs" (2010), sports drama "Coach" (2010) and Vera Farmiga's directorial debut "Higher Ground" (2011) to his filmography, Chernus enjoyed multi-episode stints on "Damages" (FX, 2007-2012) and "The Big C" (Showtime, 2010-13), and played electronics store clerk Jeffrey Price in "Men in Black III" (2012), NRAG investigator Arthur Ingram in "The Bourne Legacy" (2012) and real-life first officer Shane Murphy in "Captain Phillips" (2013). Chernus landed one of his most memorable roles in 2013 when he was cast as Piper's underachieving sibling Cal in "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix, 2013-). During his scene-stealing stint on the prison drama, Chernus also played himself in Hollywood satire "He's Way More Famous Than You" (2013), and appeared in a string of indie movies including "Mutual Friends" (2013), "Goodbye to All That" (2014) and "Alex of Venice" (2014). Chernus then signed on to play scientist Louis 'Fritz' Fedowitz in "Manhattan" (WGN America, 2014-), the 1940s-set period drama about the race to develop the first atomic bomb, worked with acclaimed directors Noah Baumbach on "Mistress America" (2015) and Cameron Crowe on "Aloha" (2015), and guested on "Nashville" (ABC, 2012-) and "Elementary" (CBS, 2012-) before showing up in comedy dramas "People Places Things" (2015) and "The Family Fang" (2015).
