Biography
Chicago-area actor Michael Stahl-David played energetic young men on both sides of the moral fence in several television series, including "The Black Donnellys" (NBC, 2007) and "Narcos" (Netflix, 2015- ), as well as the occasional feature, including "Cloverfield" (2008). Born October 28, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois, he was raised, along with his two brothers, in the community of Lakeview. There, he developed an interest in graffiti, and pursued it as a quasi-career throughout his teenaged years. An arrest in San Francisco prompted Stahl-David to return to Illinois in 2001, where he focused his energies on acting at Columbia College Chicago. While pursuing his degree, he honed his craft with local theater companies, including the acclaimed Steppenwolf and Goodman Theatres. Upon graduation, Stahl-David relocated to New York, where he soon found success Off-Broadway in "The Overwhelming" and other new works. His screen career began in 2007 with a guest role on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (NBC, 2001-2010), which was soon followed by series regular work on Paul Haggis' drama "The Black Donnellys" (NBC, 2007), about a tough Irish family involved in organized crime. The series lasted a season, but Stahl-David rebounded quickly with a leading role in J.J. Abrams' science fiction thriller "Cloverfield" (2008). Cast as a young businessman determined to rescue his girlfriend (Odette Annable) from the carnage created by a monster rampaging through New York City, Stahl-David's performance was largely overlooked in favor of the film's impressive special effects and advertising campaign, and he soon returned to guest roles on television series and stage work. By 2015, however, his career began another vertical ascent thanks to roles in high-profile projects like Rob Reiner's "LBJ" (2017), which cast him as Robert Kennedy, and the HBO miniseries "Show Me A Hero" (2016), in which he played James Surdoval, political consultant to crusading New York City councilman Oscar Isaac. In 2017, he returned to series regular work in the third season of Netflix's drama "Narcos," playing a no-nonsense DEA agent working in Colombia to bring down a dangerous drug cartel.
