Michael Cera biography

Synopsis

Early Acting Career

Actor and comedian Michael Cera was born on June 7, 1988, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, as the second of three children. Cera was the only boy born to Linda Cera and her husband, Luigi, a Sicilian immigrant who made a living working as a repairman for Xerox. While not cut from acting stock, Cera says his family is a creative bunch. His older sister Jordan is a painter, his younger sister Molly, is a "really good writer," and both his parents are "really, really funny."

At an early age Cera showed an interest in acting and, with his parents' support, he started doing television commercial work by the time he was 8. The spots included an unpaid gig for Tim Horton's and then a paid gig for Pillsbury, which featured the young actor poking the company's Doughboy in the stomach. With his mother as his chaperone, Cera embarked on a demanding audition schedule, trying out for some 200 commercials, none of which yielded any work and finally prompted a tired mother and son to turn their back on that part of the business.

Instead, Cera began pursuing meatier parts, taking on roles in various Canadian and American television shows. He was the voice behind Little Gizmo in the Emmy-winning cartoon series, Rolie Polie Olie, work that eventually led to other voice parts on cartoon programs such as PBS's The Berenstain Bears and the FOX/ABC production, Braceface. Then, at the age of 12, Cera caught a big break when he earned a regular spot on the comedy, I Was a Sixth Grade Alien.

Around that same time, Cera took another big step forward on the big screen. He had a supporting role as Abbie Hoffman's son in Steal This Movie; another prominent part in the sci-fi thriller Frequency; and a starring gig in the 3-D Imax movie, Ultimate Gs. Two years later, Cera showcased his talents as a young Chuck Barris in the George Clooney directed, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

Big Break

In 2001, Cera landed a role in the FOX sitcom, The Grubbs. But the program never made it to the air, getting canceled after just eight episodes were filmed. Cera later claimed he was "devastated" by the early hook, but he wasn't done with television completely. And his earlier experience on The Grubbs and the timing of its cancelation helped pave the way for Cera to look over the script for another sitcom, Arrested Development, a Ron Howard produced show that was still very much in its infancy.

Cera, who cites Larry David and Bill Murray as two big comedic influences, loved what he read. Especially the character George Michael, the 13-year-old son whose father, Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), returns home to run the family business and look after his highly dysfunctional parents and siblings.