Personal details
- Birth Date: 1976-08-26
- Height: 6′ 3¼″ (1.91 m)
- Birth Location: Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- Children: (2 children) Naiella Colter
- Parents: Eddie Lee Colter Sr.
- Professions: Actor, Additional Crew, Visual Effects
Mike’s story kicks off in South Carolina, born to Eddie Lee Colter Sr. and his wife, and honestly, theater was in his blood from the jump. He started out at Benedict College, soaking up whatever his drama professor Scott Blanks could throw at him—think long hours, tough love, and those classic “find your truth” talks. But Mike wasn’t one to sit still, so he bounced to University of South Carolina, scooped up a BA in theater, and just kept charging ahead. No rest for the ambitious: Mike headed north to Mason Gross School of the Arts, where heavyweights like William Esper and Maggie Flanigan whipped his acting chops into shape. Earning that MFA wasn’t a walk in the park, but it paid off—he packed his bags for L.A., chasing the dream, like everyone else. Roles weren’t exactly falling in his lap at first, but he hustled and landed a spot on Spin City with Charlie Sheen. More gigs popped up—E.R., The Parkers with Mo’Nique—small but mighty. NYC called him back, maybe for the stage, maybe for a change of pace, but Hollywood had other plans. Out of nowhere, he scored a role in Million Dollar Baby—yeah, the one with Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman—without even meeting Clint before shooting started. Wild, right? The next year, critics raved about his turn as CJ Memphis in the revival of “A Soldier’s Play.” Then came “Drunken City” at Playwrights Horizons. These days, Mike splits his time between New York and L.A., popping up in film and TV, just doing his thing.
You know what’s wild? This guy’s actually Viola Davis’s second cousin. Yeah, no joke. So, the family tree goes like this—his dad’s mom and her mom’s dad? Total siblings. So somewhere at those big, chaotic family reunions, they probably ran into each other, maybe not even realizing the connection at first. Imagine being at a cookout and suddenly realizing you’re related to one of the most badass actors in Hollywood. That’s gotta be a trip. Both sides of the family share some roots, and who knows, maybe acting chops run in the bloodline? Either way, it’s a fun bit of trivia that just makes you wonder what kind of stories get swapped at their family gatherings. Makes the world feel a little smaller, doesn’t it? Connections like that pop up in the weirdest places, especially in showbiz.
ReferencennActing’s funny, right? When you’re on screen, it’s about catching those little details, the side glances, the awkward pauses—real life stuff. But step into a voice booth, and suddenly you’re cranking everything up to eleven, almost cartoonish. You can’t just mumble your way through a line, hoping the camera picks up your vibe. Nope. Every emotion’s gotta punch through, all with just your voice. So you’re basically overacting, but with your mouth instead of your whole body. It’s wild how something as simple as standing behind a mic can make you feel like you’re shouting from a mountaintop, even if you’re just reading one line about a sandwich. Voice work’s a whole different beast, honestly. If you don’t go big, it falls flat. That’s the weird charm: subtlety gets ditched, and you have to make those words leap out, no matter how goofy you feel doing it.
August 26, 1976
6′ 3¼″ (1.91 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Yes, Naiella Colter
Eddie Lee Colter Sr. and Surekha
48 years old