Michael Urie

As the flashy Marc St. James, one of the most beloved characters on the hit series "Ugly Betty" (ABC, 2006-2010), theater-trained actor Michael Urie became a breakout star, thanks to equal parts fierceness, tenacity and campy humor. Prior to his breakthrough on that series, Urie earned his stripes on the stage before transitioning to the screen on the provocative cable series, "Undressed" (MTV, 1999-2002), which opened the doors to his "Ugly Betty" role. Aside from his stage and television acting career, Urie was also a producer and director of documentary films, and was a longtime board member of Plum Productions. As he expanded into television movies and features, as well as becoming the star of his own series, "Partners" (CBS, 2012), all of the hard work only helped add to his luster as one of the most promising up-and-coming talents on television in the new millennium.

Born on Aug. 8, 1980 in Dallas, TX, Urie was raised in the nearby suburb of Plano, where he attended Plano Senior High School. While there, he played in the marching band and was heavily involved in his school's speech and drama program. After a starring role in the school's production of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Urie fell in love with theater. Shortly after high school, he trained at the prestigious Quad C Theatre where he appeared in student productions of "Sylvia" (1998) and "Locked Away" (1999). While attending the famed Juilliard School, he starred in the world premiere of "Love and Happiness" in 2001, portraying a 16-year-old who plots to get rid of his mother's lover.

Before his 2003 graduation, Urie received many honors during his time at Juilliard, including The John Houseman prize for Excellence in Classical Theatre and The Laura Pels award for a career in theater. Prior to that, he won a Dramatic Interpretation award at the National Forensic League National Tournament in St. Louis, MO for "Confessions of a Nightingale" (1998).

Urie made his first TV appearance on MTV's provocative and hormonally-charged nighttime series, "Undressed" (1999-2002), on which he played Justin during the show's sixth and final season. In 2005, Urie starred in the stage play "WTC View," a story about a young New Yorker living in SoHo who undergoes emotional struggles in the weeks following the World Trade Center terrorist attacks. Two years later, Urie was back on the theater stage, playing Horatio in a summer production of "Hamlet" by the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, CA.

Not wasting any time making a name for himself, Urie joined the cast of "Ugly Betty" - inspired by a Spanish-language telenovela and produced by Salma Hayek - in recurring fashion during its premiere season as Marc, the fashionable and devoted assistant to the show's resident bitch, Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams). Urie and Williams shared plenty of screen time together, resulting in hilarious diva cattiness not seen since the golden days of primetime soaps like "Dynasty" (ABC, 1981-89). Urie proved to be a popular member of the cast and was promoted to regular series status throughout the remainder of the show's four-season run.

Before, during and after his time on "Ugly Betty," Urie enjoyed working behind the scenes as well, making a short documentary "Two Down," and also working on the board of Plum Productions, where he served as a casting director. He produced and appeared in stage productions of "Prachtoberfest" and "Like the Mountains," and directed "The Fantasticks" - all for Plum Productions. Meanwhile, after the incredible overnight success of "Betty" and his inevitable fame, Urie's sexuality was scrutinized by the media, something he never denied but neither talked about either.

In the meantime, "Ugly Beatty" was canceled in 2010, leaving Urie adrift. He rebounded with a small supporting turn in the television movie, "Brain Trust" (TNT, 2010), before appearing in smaller features like the British comedy "The Decoy Bride" (2011) and "Petunia" (2012). Back on the small screen, Urie starred on the sitcom, "Partners" (CBS, 2012), which focused on two close friends - one straight (David Krumholtz), the other gay (Urie) - who find their business partnership and so-called bromance tested by new personal relationships.