Michael Troy Worth (born January 13, 1965) is an American actor, martial artist, screenwriter, and director.
Born in Philadelphia in 1965, Worth is from German and Delaware Indian Native American heritage. As a child, he grew up near the Chesapeake Bay before moving to Northern California with his parents. At the age of 11, he directed his first film titled The Tire with a super 8mm camera he had spent his allowance on. He continued making short films and experimental video projects during his youth including The Toad Warriors and The Berkeley Junk Food Massacre.[1][2]
Sometime later, he moved to Los Angeles, and earned a handful of bit parts in film and television including Pacific Blue and Alien Nation. He lived with his dog in his truck for six months in Venice, California while trying to save money. Surviving on odd jobs and construction work, Worth accepted small parts and worked as a martial arts trainer for George Lazenby.
His first leading role was in the independent action film Final Impact. Variety magazine labeled him a "promising newcomer". Signed to several films with PM Entertainment, he worked through a series of low-budget films before landing the role of "Tommy" on the TV series Acapulco H.E.A.T..[3] He was also one of the front-runners for the role of RobininBatman Forever, although the role ultimately went to Chris O'Donnell. Worth ended up having a cameo alongside O'Donnell in one of the film's fight scenes. He also appeared in "The Storytellers" alongside Tippi Hedren.[4]
In 2004, he wrote and directed a micro-budget experimental film, titled Killing Cupid. It earned him a Best Director nomination at the Action On Film Film Festival in 2005 as well as "Best Fiction Film" at the "Hollywood Documentary and Fiction Film Festival" in 2006. He continued to act in a variety of small independent films while honing his skills as a filmmaker, ghostwriting for film and television, as well as directing second unit. Worth wrote the screenplays for and starred in the psychological thriller/western film Dual (2005) and the sci-fi/horror film Devil On The Mountain (2006). He also appeared in an episode of the CBS sitcom The King of Queens in 2005.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Legend of Billie Jean | Surfer | Uncredited |
| 1987 | Teen Wolf Too | Teen in crowd | |
| 1992 | Final Impact | Danny Davis | |
| 1992 | Street Crimes | Tony | |
| 1993 | To Be the Best | Eric Kulhane | |
| 1995 | Fists of Iron | Dale Hartwell | |
| 1997 | Sue | Man in Gallery | |
| 1999 | The Storytellers | Kristopher Krengle | |
| 1999 | The Contract | Detective McGuiness | |
| 2001 | U.S. Seals II: The Ultimate Force | Lt. Casey Sheppard | |
| 2002 | Essence of Echoes | FBI Agent Kyle McShinsky | |
| 2003 | Ghost Rock | John Slaughter | Also writer |
| 2005 | Lethal | Eugene | Uncredited |
| 2005 | Killing Cupid | Cupid / Marion | Also writer and director |
| 2005 | The Nowhere Man | Suicidal Pilot | Also producer |
| 2005 | Demon Hunter | Cop | |
| 2006 | Sasquatch Mountain | Vin Stewart | Also writer |
| 2006 | Left in Darkness | Celia's Father | |
| 2008 | God's Ears | Noah Connely | Also writer and director |
| 2008 | Dual | Luke Twain | Also writer |
| 2010 | Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen | Michael | Also writer and director |
| 2011 | Fort McCoy | Drunk Soldier | Also co-director |
| 2011 | Girls! Girls! Girls! | Ben | |
| 2012 | Complacent | Eugene York | |
| 2012 | West of Thunder | Kippy | |
| 2012 | Rise of the Dinosaurs | Professor Roxton | |
| 2014 | Flim: The Movie | Himself | |
| 2015 | Seeking Dolly Parton | Josh | Also writer and director |
| 2016 | Catfish Blues | Dylan's dad | Also writer |
| 2017 | Broken Memories | Buck | Also writer and director |
| 2017 | Their Killer Affair | Their Killer Affair | |
| 2018 | Lafayette | Jack | |
| 2019 | Apple Seed | Prince | Also writer and director |
| 2020 | Gunfight at Silver Creek | Carl Macgregor | |
| 2022 | The Butterfly Guard | Tyler Bowie | Also director |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–1995 | Acapulco H.E.A.T. | Tommy | 22 episodes |
| 1995 | The John Larroquette Show | Uri | Episode: "Wrestling Matches" |
| 1995 | Marker | Clint | Episode: "From Russia Without Love" |
| 1995 | Diagnosis: Murder | Pvt. Hansen | Episode: "All American Murder" |
| 1997 | Suddenly Susan | Underwear Model | Episode: "I Didn't Write This" |
| 1997, 1998 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Vampire | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Conan the Adventurer | Drakk | Episode: "Homecoming" |
| 1998 | Pacific Blue | Mike Thacker | Episode: "Overkill" |
| 1999 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | Sergeant Schilling | Episode: "Don't Follow the Leader" |
| 2005 | The King of Queens | Owen | Episode: "Ice Cubed" |
| 2005 | The Closer | Jason Murphy | Episode: "You Are Here" |
| 2006 | Twenty Good Years | Frank | Episode: "Jeffrey's Choice" |
| 2006 | The Unit | Second Man | Episode: "Silver Star" |
| 2009 | War Wolves | Jake Gabriel | Television film; also writer/director |
| 2009 | Desperate Housewives | Self Defense Instructor | Episode: "What Would I Think of Suicide?" |
| 2011 | CSI: NY | Lucius Woods | Episode: "Life Sentence" |
| 2011 | Jabberwock | Alec | Television film |
