Michael - Cast

Michael: Cast

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JOHN TRAVOLTA's (Michael) recent succession of stunningly diverse roles continues with his portrayal of Michael, the latter-day archangel who is still duking it out with the forces of evil in the contemporary Midwest.

Travolta has been honored twice with Academy Award nominations, most recently for his riveting seriocomic portrayal of a philosophical hit man in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. He also received a Golden Globe nomination for the highly acclaimed role, and was named Best Actor by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, among other awards. He was equally praised as a Mafioso-turned-movie-producer in the comedy sensation Get Shorty, singled out by many critics as one of the best performances of the year and garnering a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.

Travolta most recently starred in Phenomenon, and last year took two equally diverse turns as an action star in John Woo's thriller Broken Arrow, and as a white man in a black man's world in the fantasy satire White Man's Burden.

Travolta previously starred in some of the most seminal films of his generation. He earned his first Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his role in the blockbuster Saturday Night Fever, which launched the disco phenomenon of the late 1970s. He went on to star in the mega-hit screen version of the long-running musical "Grease," which inspired a revival of Fifties fashion and music, and Urban Cowboy, which caused mechanical bulls to crop up in bars nationwide. Additional film credits include the Brian DePalma thrillers Carrie and Blow Out, as well as Amy Heckerling's hit comedy Look Who's Talking.

Travolta is currently reteamed with director John Woo on Face Off, co-starring Nicholas Cage. He recently completed production on Costa Gravas' Mad City, also starring Dustin Hoffman. Among his other upcoming projects, he will co-star in She's De Lovely, and has recently been cast in Primary Colors.

ANDIE MacDOWELL (Dorothy) is one of the world's most popular screen actresses, renowned for the unique blend of contemporary humor and classic charm she has brought to Harold Ramis' Groundhog Day with Bill Murray and Multiplicity with Michael Keaton; Peter Weir's Green Card with Gerard Depardieu; and Four Weddings and a Funeral with Hugh Grant.

MacDowell first received wide acclaim for her performance in the 1989 Cannes Film Festival Palm D'or winner sex lies and videotape, written and directed by Steven Soderbergh. For this role she received the Los Angeles Critics' Best Actress Award and a Golden Globe nomination. Recently, she won accolades for the poignant, dramatic role of a gravely ill mother in Diane Keaton's Unstrung Heroes.

She is currently working on The End of Violence with director Wim Wenders, who served as president of the 1989 Cannes jury panel. MacDowell has also worked extensively with director Robert Altman, appearing in The Player and Short Cuts.

WILLIAM HURT (Quinlan) stars as a bitter investigative-journalist-turned-tabloid-reporter whose investigation of an ersatz angel brings the power of belief and the possibility of love back into his life.

After making his debut in Altered States, Hurt went on to star in some of the most memorable films of the 1980s. His starring roles include the erotic thriller Body Heat; the influential ensemble comedy The Big Chill; James Brooks' newsroom comedy Broadcast News, for which he received both Oscar and Golden Globe Award nominations; the screen adaptation of Anne Tyler's The Accidental Tourist; Children of a Lesser God; and his Oscar winning role as a South American prisoner obsessed with movies in Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Other credits include Wim Wenders' epic Until The End of the World, Mr. Wonderful, The Plague, Trial By Jury, Jayne Eyre, Second Best, and the French film Confidences a un Inconnu. He has also starred in Eyewitness, Gorky Park, A Time of Destiny, I Love You To Death, Alice, and A Couch in New York.

Hurt recently starred in Wayne Wang's acclaimed drama Smoke, and recently completed production on Dark City for director Alex Proyas and New Line Cinema.

On stage, William Hurt has appeared in more than 70 productions, including a Tony-nominated performance in "Hurlyburly" on Broadway. He previously won the Obie Award and Theatre World Award for "My Life" at the Circle Repertory Theatre in 1978. His other theatre credits include "Love Letters" off Broadway; "The Fifth of July," "Lulu," Ulysses in Traction," "The Runner Stumbles," "Hamlet," "Mary Stuart," "Child Byron," "Richard II," and "Beside Herself" at the Circle Repertory Theatre; and several appearances with the New York Shakespeare Festival. He went behind the scenes to direct "Those Inconvenient Sisters" at the Circle Repertory Lab in 1989, and his most recent roles include "Ivanov" and "Good."

In 1988, Hurt was awarded the first Spencer Tracy Award, which recognizes an actor who has achieved outstanding performances and professional achievement.

ROBERT PASTORELLI (Huey) is best known for his seven seasons of trading one liners with Candice Bergen as the philosophical house painter Eldin on CBS' "Murphy Brown."

But it was his role in Kevin Costner's Western epic Dances With Wolves that brought Pastorelli widespread public and industry notice as a dramatic actor and, as a result, he continues to be one of the most sought after actors in the business.

Pastorelli will next be seen in A Simple Wish, a comedic fantasy adventure co-starring Martin Short and Mara Wilson. His role in Arnold Schwarzenegger's summer action thriller Eraser was cited by USA Today as the "breakthrough performance of the big summer movies."

A New Jersey native, Pastorelli drifted through a series of jobs before deciding to become an actor. He trained at the New York Academy of Theatrical Arts and The Actor's Studio before participating in a work-study program at the Performing Arts Gallery, where he studied with such noted teachers as Michael Schulman.

Following his success on "Murphy Brown," he led the cast of another CBS series, "Double Rush." His roles for television movies have included acclaimed performances in "West Side Waltz," "Harmful Intent" and "The Yarn Princess." His other feature roles include Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Striking Distance, The Paint Job, Folks, Outrageous Fortune and Beverly Hills Cop 2.

He appeared in numerous off-Broadway productions including "Cosmo's In Love," "End as A Man," "Death of a Salesman," "Bus Stop," "The Rainmaker," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Gray Spades," "Lovers and Other Strangers," "Mere Mortals," "Down the Tubes," opposite Bill Murray and "Geography of a Horse Dreamer" for which Pastorelli received the Soho Arts Award for Best Actor.

BOB HOSKINS (Malt) is the editor of a tabloid newspaper whose most successful reporter is the canine he covets for his very own.

Hoskins first rocketed to attention in the United States in 1980 with his riveting and shockingly sympathetic performance as Cockney crime boss Harold Shand in the widely acclaimed The Long Good Friday. He next starred in Neil Jordan's fairy-tale like Mona Lisa, playing an ordinary, down-and-out ex-con who is transformed into a prince among men when he meets a beautiful prostitute. The performance swept critics and audiences, garnering an Oscar nomination and the New York Critics, Golden Globe, British Academy and Cannes Best Actor Awards, firmly establishing Hoskins as a leading film talent.

He went on to star with a cast of unforgettable `toons in Robert Zemeckis' Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Later, he starred with Cher and Winona Ryder in Mermaids; with Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams in Steve Speilberg's Hook; and with Sir Anthony Hopkins in Oliver Stone's Nixon. His most recent project was opposite Robin Williams and Gerard Depardieu in Secret Agent, which he also co-produced with Norma Heyman.

Hoskins also directed and starred in the 1988 feature The Raggedy Rawny. He also recently directed a family film, The Rainbow, using the brand-new Sony high definition film technology.

Hoskins began his career on the British stage by accident. While accompanying a friend on an audition, Hoskins - who had no acting ambitions at the time - was cast in the lead role. His natural acting skills went on to win him roles in plays of Shakespeare, Pinter, Edward Bond and Brecht, initially at the Hull Arts Centre in Yorkshire and then at London's avant-garde Royal Court Theatre. He starred with Sir John Gielgud and Sir John Mills in the controversial "The Veterans," and segued in playing Alfred Doolittle in "Pygmalion" in the West End, a production that was sold-out for its entire six-month engagement. Hoskins spent a number of seasons at the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Globe Theatre.

Hoskins' performance as vulgar salesman Arthur Parker in the 1977 television serialization of Dennis Potter's "Pennies From Heaven" made him a household name in the U.K. He also received a Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for that performance. Hoskins has continued to work in the television medium. He recently starred with Michael Caine in the mini-series "World War II: When Lions Roar."

JEAN STAPLETON (Pansy Milbank) is best known for her long-running, classic portrayal of Edith Bunker on "All In The Family," for which she won three Emmys and three Golden Globes.

Stapleton now divides her time equally among theatre, television and film. She recently made guest appearances on "Caroline In The City," "Murphy Brown" and "Grace Under Fire," for which she earned an Emmy nomination. In addition, she completed filming Horton Foote's "Lily Dale" for Showtime.

On stage, Stapleton most recently opened John Osborne's "The Entertainer" at the Classic Stage Company in New York. She also appeared in the role of "The Stepmother" in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" at the New York City Opera; a production of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" in California; and "Night Seasons" at the Signature Theatre in New York. Among her other stage credits, she appeared in Thornton Wilder's "The Matchmaker" and Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" at San Francisco's newly renovated Geary Theatre, and Broadway appearances in "In The Summer House," "Damn Yankees," "Bells Are Ringing," "Rhinoceros," "Funny Girl" and "Arsenic and Old Lace." She also won an Obie Award for her roles in two plays by Harold Pinter at New York's Classic Stage Company. She subsequently appeared in the film versions of "Damn Yankees" and "Bells are Ringing."

Stapleton's innumerable television credits include an Emmy-nominated portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt in the TV film "Eleanor: First Lady of the World."

TERI GARR (Judge Esther Newberg) is one of Hollywood's most versatile, dynamic and recognizable actresses. Her many memorable films include Young Frankenstein, Oh God!, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Mom, After Hours, and her Academy Award-nominated performance in Tootsie. Other film roles include The Black Stallion, One From The Heart, Short Time, Waiting For The Light and Mom and Dad Save the World. She recently appeared in A Perfect Alibi and Robert Altman's Ready To Wear. Following Michael, she will appear in A Simple Wish.

On television, Garr starred in the series "Women Of the House," opposite Delta Burke. Other television credits include the telefilm "Fugitive Nights," "Deliver Them From Evil: The Taking of Alta View," "Stranger In the Family," HBO's "Dream On" and starring roles in the sitcoms "Good and Evil" and "Good Advice."

Garr began her career as a dancer, appearing on the television show "Shindig" and later captured roles in nine Elvis Presley movies. In the 70s, she became a television actress, with appearances on "Star Trek," "It Takes A Thief," "McCloud" and a semi-regular role on "The Sonny and Cher Show" as Cher's friend, Olivia.

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