Michael Gross (actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Gross
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Gross in 2015
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| Born |
Michael Edward Gross
June 21, 1947 |
| Education | University of Illinois, Chicago (BA) Yale University (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Elza Bergeron
(m. 1984) |
| Children | Two stepchildren |
| Relatives | Mary Gross (sister) Ron Masak (cousin) |
Michael Edward Gross (born June 21, 1947) is an American actor who has appeared in television shows, movies, and stage plays. He is best known for playing two very different characters. He was the friendly dad Steven Keaton on the popular 1980s TV show Family Ties. He is also famous for playing the monster-hunting survivalist Burt Gummer in the Tremors movie series.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Gross was born in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Virginia, was a telephone operator, and his father, William, was a tool designer. He and his younger sister, Mary Gross, grew up in a Catholic family. Mary Gross also became a famous actress and was a cast member on Saturday Night Live.
Gross went to high school in Chicago and later studied drama at the University of Illinois Chicago. After that, he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the famous Yale University.
Acting Career
Famous Television Roles
Gross became a household name playing Steven Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties from 1982 to 1989. An interesting fact is that he and Meredith Baxter, the actress who played his wife on the show, were born on the exact same day: June 21, 1947.
Over the years, Gross has appeared as a guest star on many popular TV shows. You might have seen him in episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Parks and Recreation, ER, and Law & Order. He also had a recurring role on the soap opera The Young and the Restless.
The Tremors Movie Series
While many people know him as a sitcom dad, Gross is also an action star. He has played the character Burt Gummer in the Tremors movies for over 30 years. He started in the first Tremors movie in 1990 and has been in every sequel, including Tremors: Shrieker Island in 2020.
His character, Burt Gummer, is an expert on weapons and survival who fights giant underground worms. Gross is the only actor to appear in all the Tremors movies and the TV show. For his role in Tremors 3: Back to Perfection, he won a Best Actor award from the DVD Exclusive Awards.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Michael Gross married casting director Elza Bergeron in 1984. He is a stepfather to her two children. He has remained good friends with his Family Ties co-star, Meredith Baxter.
A Passion for Trains
Gross is a huge fan of trains and railroads, a hobby known as being a railfan. He has a large collection of railroad items and is an amateur railroad historian and photographer. He is even a part-owner of a real, working railroad called the Santa Fe Southern Railway in New Mexico.
Because of his love for trains, he has been a spokesperson for several railroad-related groups. He has worked with the World's Greatest Hobby campaign to promote model railroading. He is also the celebrity spokesman for the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
Selected Film and Television Roles
Here are some of Michael Gross's most well-known roles:
- Family Ties (1982–1989) as Steven Keaton
- Big Business (1988) as Dr. Jay Marshall
- Tremors (1990) as Burt Gummer
- Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996) as Burt Gummer
- ER (2001–2004) as John Carter Sr.
- Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001) as Burt Gummer
- Tremors (TV series, 2003) as Burt Gummer
- Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004) as Hiram Gummer
- How I Met Your Mother (2006–2011) as Alfred Mosby
- Parks and Recreation (2010) as Michael Tansley
- Suits (2014) as Walter Gillis
- Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015) as Burt Gummer
- Grace and Frankie (2015-2016) as Jeff
- Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018) as Burt Gummer
- Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020) as Burt Gummer
See also
In Spanish: Michael Gross para niños
