Michael was born September 6, 1958 to Robert and Verdie Winslow at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington. He is the youngest of six brothers. His mom tells stories about how he would imitate airplane noises as a little boy. Basically, if anything made a sound, he copied with sounds that came out of his mouth. There was never a dull moment in the Winslow house!
"Growing up on the air force base made it difficult to have friends so I created imaginary friends, dogs, cats, trucks, anything that would keep me occupied for the moment," says Michael. After graduating high school and a spending a short stint at college, he had his first professional performance at a club/theater in Boulder, Colorado named Tulagi's. His debut was all the more meaningful for Michael because Jimmy Hendrix, The Doors, Tommy Bolin, and other famous bands had performed on the same stage.
Michael was soon acting for a group called Nova. He also found out that a band called Italian Rock Fusion Band was big on Jimmy Hendrix. Armed with props including his mother's Afro wig, he opened for the band doing his own Hendrix imitation. Despite his nervousness, the ovation from the audience for his is rendition of Purple Haze was overwhelming. From that moment on, he knew his calling; he wanted to be an entertainer.
Michael packed his bags and hitchhiked to Venice Beach where he was actually homeless for a short time. He auditioned for the Gong Show, hosted by the legendary Chuck Barris, and he won a whooping $516.32 that finally got him out of homelessness. The money also allowed him to buy a vehicle which he used to get to Los Angeles and all of its local comedy clubs. Bud Friedman, the man who helped launch Rodney Dangerfield, Jay Leno, Andy Kaufman, and Bette Midler, believed in Michael and featured in him in the famous Evening at the Improv.
Michael's BIG CHANCE came in 1984 when director Hugh Wilson and producer Paul Manslanski came to see him perform at the Long Beach Theater where he was opening for the incomparable Count Basie and his Orchestra. Needless to say, Wilson and Manslanski were blown away. They immediately wrote him into the script of the unforgettable Police Academy. The movie became an instant success and so did Michael. He would go on to have a role in all seven Police Academy films. His celebrity status firmly established, Michael was cast in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs. He was also heard, but not seen, when he gave the voice to Stripe, the evil little creature, in Gremlins. He also did voice-overs for Disney and Universal Studios in such rides as Back to the Future and Terminator. Currently you can also hear him in the television hits Robot Chicken and Family Guy. You also can't miss him on those great Geico commercials.
Michael, a master of vocal gymnastics, can imitate more than 1000 sound effects using his voice alone. Whether he is recreating the frenzy of Jimmy Hendrix playing the guitar, or the roar of a jet plane, his talent is truly remarkable and his versatility admirable and enjoyable for all ages!
"Growing up on the air force base made it difficult to have friends so I created imaginary friends, dogs, cats, trucks, anything that would keep me occupied for the moment," says Michael. After graduating high school and a spending a short stint at college, he had his first professional performance at a club/theater in Boulder, Colorado named Tulagi's. His debut was all the more meaningful for Michael because Jimmy Hendrix, The Doors, Tommy Bolin, and other famous bands had performed on the same stage.
Michael was soon acting for a group called Nova. He also found out that a band called Italian Rock Fusion Band was big on Jimmy Hendrix. Armed with props including his mother's Afro wig, he opened for the band doing his own Hendrix imitation. Despite his nervousness, the ovation from the audience for his is rendition of Purple Haze was overwhelming. From that moment on, he knew his calling; he wanted to be an entertainer.
Michael packed his bags and hitchhiked to Venice Beach where he was actually homeless for a short time. He auditioned for the Gong Show, hosted by the legendary Chuck Barris, and he won a whooping $516.32 that finally got him out of homelessness. The money also allowed him to buy a vehicle which he used to get to Los Angeles and all of its local comedy clubs. Bud Friedman, the man who helped launch Rodney Dangerfield, Jay Leno, Andy Kaufman, and Bette Midler, believed in Michael and featured in him in the famous Evening at the Improv.
Michael's BIG CHANCE came in 1984 when director Hugh Wilson and producer Paul Manslanski came to see him perform at the Long Beach Theater where he was opening for the incomparable Count Basie and his Orchestra. Needless to say, Wilson and Manslanski were blown away. They immediately wrote him into the script of the unforgettable Police Academy. The movie became an instant success and so did Michael. He would go on to have a role in all seven Police Academy films. His celebrity status firmly established, Michael was cast in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs. He was also heard, but not seen, when he gave the voice to Stripe, the evil little creature, in Gremlins. He also did voice-overs for Disney and Universal Studios in such rides as Back to the Future and Terminator. Currently you can also hear him in the television hits Robot Chicken and Family Guy. You also can't miss him on those great Geico commercials.
Michael, a master of vocal gymnastics, can imitate more than 1000 sound effects using his voice alone. Whether he is recreating the frenzy of Jimmy Hendrix playing the guitar, or the roar of a jet plane, his talent is truly remarkable and his versatility admirable and enjoyable for all ages!
