Cast of FOX's 'New York Undercover,' Showtime's 'Resurrection Blvd.'

Michael DeLorenzo | Biography

DeLorenzo had appeared in the Michael Jackson's music video 'Beat It,' and 'Thriller.'

• By Reena Chikanbanjar
• Update : October 03, 2021

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Michael DeLorenzo is an award-winning actor best known for his roles as Detective Eddie Rorres on FOX's 'New York Undercover,' and as Carlos Santiago on Showtime's 'Resurrection Blvd.'

Who is Michael DeLorenzo?

Michael DeLorenzo is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is also a director, writer, producer, musician, and dancer. DeLorenzo began his career as a ballet dancer, but he shifted into acting after suffering a severe knee injury. 

He debuted in acting in the 1978 film Slipping Into Darkness. He then appeared in a string of films, including Fame (1980), Fast Forward (1985), A Few Good Men (1992), and Alive (1993). He also starred in television series such as New York Undercover and Resurrection Blvd, which earned him multiple awards and nominations.

Early Life and Education

Michael DeLorenzo was born on 31 October 1959 in Bronx, New York City. He is half Italian and half Puerto Rican. He has three siblings, two brothers and one sister. 

DeLorenzo attended the Lincoln Square Academy. He then went to the High School of Performing Arts in New York City, New York, and also studied at the School of American Ballet in New York City. 

Dancing Career

DeLorenzo began performing as a dancer with American dancer Tina Ramirez's premier Latino dance organization called Ballet Hispanico. As a young dancer, he received scholarships from the School of American Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, and the New York School of Ballet. DeLorenzo danced with the National Ballet of Canada alongside ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev. He also danced with dancer and choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov and for the New York City-based classical ballet company, American Ballet Theatre. 

He suffered a severe knee injury while dancing, which sidelined him from his dancing career. However, DeLorenzo turned the situation positively by shifting his career to acting. 

Movie Career

DeLorenzo made his big-screen debut in 1978, appearing as a soldier in Slipping Into Darkness. Two years later, he appeared in the role of principal dancer in the film Fame. 

In 1984, he appeared as a dancer in the television movie Breakin' Through. The following year, he portrayed the role of Caesar Lopez in the film Fast Forward, directed by Sidney Poitier. The same year, he also appeared as Bobby in the television movie HeartBeat. 

In 1987, he appeared as Miguel in the television movie Sister Margaret and the Saturday Night Ladies and Flaco in Fatal Beauty. The next year, he appeared in three films: The Couch Trip, Satisfaction, and Platoon Leader. He also appeared as a young driver in the 1988 television movie Police Story: Cop Killer. 

In 1990, DeLorenzo played the role of a gang leader in the film Cold Dog Soup. Two years later, he appeared as Paulo in Diggstown and as Private First Class William T. Santiago in A Few Good Men. Directed by Rob Reiner, A Few Good Men was adapted from Aaron Sorkin's 1989 play of the same name. The legal drama film follows the story of a military lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (played by Tom Cruise), who defends two Marines who have been accused of murdering a colleague.

In 1993, he appeared in the role of Rafael Cano in the biographical thriller film Alive, based on Piers Paul Read's 1974 book titled 'Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors.' The film follows the story of the members of an Uruguayan rugby team, who are forced to use desperate measures to survive after the plane crashes into the Andes mountain. That year, he also appeared in the film Judgment Night. 

In 1994, he appeared in the television movies Pointman and Count on Me. The same year, he appeared in the film Somebody to Love. The subsequent year, he portrayed the role of Butch Mejia in the film My Family.

DeLorenzo then appeared in two films such as Phantoms and Zero Stress, and one television movie, The Wall, in 1988. He went on to appear in the 2000 film Gun Shy as Estuvio and the 2001 television movie Border Patrol as detective Freddie Chavez. In 2004, he played the role of Sergio Espinoza in the film In Your Eyes and then played Rocko in the 2006 film High Hopes. 

He appeared in three films in 2009, such as Not Forgotten, The Line, and Just Peck. His other film credits included 186 Dollars to Freedom (2012), The Employer (2013), The Babymoon (2017), Johnny Gruesome (2018), and Be the Light (2020).

TV Series Career

From 1982 to 1987, he appeared in a recurring role of Michael (Fame Dancer / Dancer) in the musical drama Fame, based on the 1980 film of the same name in which DeLorenzo also starred. He then played the role of Alex Torres in the television series Head of the Class from 1989 to 1991. 

DeLorenzo made a breakthrough performance when he starred in the role of Detective Eddie Torres in Fox's crime drama series New York Undercover from 1994 to 1997. He also played a notable role as Carlos Santiago in Showtime's drama series Resurrection Blvd. from 2000 to 2002. He also guest-starred in numerous other television series, including Blue Bloods and ABC miniseries When We Rise, directed by Gus Van Sant.

Theatrical Career 

In addition to his on-screen career, DeLorenzo had performed in several theater productions such as West Side Story, Aria da capo, Paperbird, Tumbleweed, and Fool for Love. 

He played the central role of the troubled student Lee in Stand-Up Tragedy at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. His outstanding performance in Stand-Up Tragedy earned him the 'Drama-Logue Award' for 'Best Actor.'

Directorial Career

In addition to his acting career, DeLorenzo made his directorial debut in 2001. He directed the episode 'Bruja' of the television series Resurrection Blvd. in 2001 and the episode 'El Gato, El Vato, La Cena Y El Padre' in 2002. 

He then directed the 2008 film One, Two, Many. Later, he directed three short films, such as It Can Only be Used Once (2014), The Power of One (2016), and Come and Get It (2018).

Music Video Appearances

DeLorenzo had appeared in a few music videos. In 1983, he appeared as one of the dancers in Michael Jackson's music video titled 'Beat It.' The same year, he appeared in Jackson's music video titled 'Thriller' as Zombie. But, he had played uncredited roles in both music videos. 

Additionally, DeLorenzo appeared as Suit / Dancer in Lionel Richie's music video titled 'Running with the Night,' in 1983.

Awards and Nominations

As an actor, DeLorenzo had garnered several awards and nominations. In 1996, he won the 'NCLR Bravo Award' for 'Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series' for New York Undercover. In 2003, DeLorenzo won the 'Vision Awards' for 'Best Performance - Drama' and the 'Imagen Award' for 'Best Actor - Television,' for his role in Resurrection Blvd. He was also a recipient of the 'L.A. Indie Award' for 'Best Supporting Actor,' for The Employer. Furthermore, he won the title of 'Best Actor' for Be the Light at the Christian Film Festival-Menchville Baptist Church. He had also earned four 'ALMA Awards.'