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'Guide Live' Article on Michael's Days at Plano Senior High

Posted on 20 Aug 2008 by mswaichingliu || 0 comments

In light of Michael's recent return to his hometown last weekend,
I searched for articles on Michael's life, prior to his success on Ugly Betty and thus, I came across this one. It is over a year old but it is still an interesting read on his academic achievements; most notably at Julliard where he had followed on from Plano Snr High, with the primary focus of his training as an actor eventually leading Michael to securing the role of Marc St James on the ABC dramedy. Also, check out the photo of Michael in his Collin theatre Center days below!
                       
                             


... and as he is today

From Collin County to Ugly Betty

TV: The Move Was Relatively Quick For Actor Michael Urie
0.9.53 PM CDT ON Wednesday June 6, 2007
By Michael Grandberry- Staff writer

Back in 1998, a student at Plano Senior High School already had big dreams. Michael Urie was focused and disciplined and knew precisely what he wanted to be. It didn't take long for Brad Baker, his soon-to-be teacher to figure that out.

'When I met him, I thought he was the most sublimely gifted young actor I had met to that point in my career', says Mr Baker who directs the theater program at Collin County Community College. 'I felt the entire time we were working with him that he was a career waiting to happen'.

Now 26 and a star on the television hit Ugly Betty, which airs Thursdays on ABC (the NBA finals pre-empt it tonight), Mr.Urie is one of Collin County's most prominent alumni. He cut his teeth at Quad- C and managed to accomplish what few have in a single year: during 1998-99, he auditioned for all six of the school's plays, landing leading roles in each. It hasn't happened since, says Mr, Baker, whom Mr Urie credits with launching his career.

'Brad's the one who urged me to audition for Julliard'. Mr Urie says, offering a heartfelt thank-you: the move to Manhattan, he says, led directly to Ugly Betty.

Years before that, however, while still a senior in high school, eh accomponied Mr. Baker and a delegation of Quad- C students to New York. Even at 18, he knew he wanted to walk across a stage, quoting Shakespeare, or appear on televsiion or in the movies. He had no idea it would happen so fast or with such stunning success....After graduating from Julliard in 2002, he spent four years in the footlights 'working off, off Broadway', where, one day he heard about a rare Television audition taking place in Manhattan. Most are held on the West Coast.

'I was very lucky', he says. If I had been cast out of LA, I wouldn't have gotten it, because I wouldn't have been there' ... (Mr) Urie was born in Houston but moved to Plano when he was 7. His dad worked at ARCO, his mom at J.C Penney Co. He attended Hughston Elementary School, Haggard Middle School and Vines High School before spending his final two years at Plano Senior High. After a year at Quad- C, he journeyed to Julliard, where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a life's worth of lessons in theater. Not that the transition to TV hasn't been without stressful moments.

During the inaugural days of Ugly Betty, he was filming in the mornings and then driving through rush-hour traffic 120 miles South to San Diego, where he had been cast in the Shakespeare festival at the Old Globe Theatre, one of America's best regional theaters... So in real life what's his mask? 'I'm kind of a clown. I'm a lot of fun, I laugh a lot but...' There's a difference between the guy he plays on TV and the person he really is; 'Marc's kind of 'mean- spirited' and I'm not like that- at all, he says. 'I really like to have fun and goof off, bit I also have, you know- he laughs- 'a sensitive side '....

...He misses Plano: 'The traffic, or the lackof', he says with a laugh. 'I miss the people. The people were so great'. His parents left Plano a few years ago and moved to Virginia. They are, of course, giddy over his and Ugly Betty's success, as is his sister, another Plano alum. She and her partner live in Berkeley, California (which interestingly enough is also Rebbeca Romiijin's home town), where they revel in the peregrinations of Marc St James.

'She's really excited about it, he says. 'And I have to admit, it's a lot of fun.What can I say? I'm having a ball'.

*Source: www.guidelive.com and The Dallas Morning Press
*Photos courtesy of Collin Theater Centre- 'Where Are They Now?' and Contact Music.com

Michael's return to Plano

Posted on 19 Aug 2008 by mswaichingliu || 0 comments

Alan Peppard- The Dallas Morning News
9.52 PM CDT
Monday August 18, 2008

Urie Hits Round- Up

Michael Urie, the locally raised Ugly Betty actor, was in gregarious mood when back in his hometown last weekend.

On Ugly Betty, Michael plays Marc St James, the flamboyant personal assistant to Wilhelmina Slater (played by Vanessa Williams).

Friday night, Michael was spotted at the Country- and- Western themed Round- up saloon on Cedar Springs, kicking up his heels and posing for pics with fans.

Michael grew up here and before heading off to college at Julliard, he attended Plano Senior High.  

http://www.wfaa.com/

michael urie fan art on photobucket!

Posted on 18 Aug 2008 by mswaichingliu || 0 comments

OK, I don't want to come across as a show-off but I recently created a batch of Michael urie/Marc St James related fan art, which you can access via Photobucket. The web address is below. My username is waichingliu81. If you want a copy of any of these fan arts, feel free to leave your name and email address in the chatbox section of this site, stating which ones you'd like and I'll be happy to email it to you afterwards.
                                         

photobucket.com
http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/ii102/waichingliu81/

Michael As The Riddler?

Posted on 14 Aug 2008 by mswaichingliu || 0 comments

Bat-tastic Compliment

                                                        
Sunday August 10, 2008                          

By Bill Harris

Michael's eyes got very wide...Batman villain- wide in fact.

'Can I shake your hand?' Urie asked above the din during a noisy ABC party at Beverly Hills, Calif.

Well sure.

Urie has just been told that his portrayal of Marc St James on Ugly Betty, alongside Vanessa Willliams' dastardly Wilhelmina Slater, conjures complimentry images of Batman villains in the mind of yous truly.

And we're talking about the old Batman TV series from the 1960s, not the heavier film versions, the most recent of which is 'The Dark Knight' with the late Heath Ledger as The Joker.

As it turned out, the comparison to Batman villians was more of a compliment to Urie that we ever would have suspected.

'I can die now' Urie said. 'Growing up, that show was instrumental for me. Nobody ever said anything about it (playing Marc and Wilhelmina that way). We never talked about it. But it's in my blood.

'I grew up watching that show. I grew up with cutouts of Batman and The Joker in my bedroom. So thank you for saying that. All we're missing is the camera angles'..... (on the Marc role) 'It's so fun to play. Everyday is a party. We get to go to work and be silly for six hours.

Just like the classic Batman villain.

'Thank you very much' Urie said. 'That's a very high, high, high, high compliment'.     

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/SundayEnt/2008/08/10/6401381-sun.html

Could we be looking at the new Riddler for the next up and coming Batman movie and follow-up to The Dark Knight, in the shape of our Michael? We should keep our fingers crossed. I think Michael would be a great choice as Edward Enigma aka The Riddler, so much so I even did a drawing as to how I would picture him as the villain in the top left hand corner. I do hope he gets the role because I can't think of any other actor who can play that character and pull off a great performance as well. And besides, the Marc character in Ugly Betty is somewhat reminscent of The Riddler, especially in terms of personality.

Source: The London Free Press
*Riddler photo courtesy of the official DC Comics Website

Michael and Becki Sing In Broadway Loves the 80s

Posted on 14 Aug 2008 by mswaichingliu || 0 comments

 
 

  
Just recently, Michael Urie and Becki Newton took part in a charitable gig titled: 'Broadway Loves the 80s', which was held at Joe's pub in New York on Sunday August 10, two days after Michael's 28th birthday. Broadway Loves the 80s was a concert involving stars from Broadway singing renditions of their favourite hits from arguably one of the best decades in popular entertainment, as well as culture. Some of the proceeds from this concert went to the Flood 2008 Fund Of The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation For Flood Relief and Recovery Donations, which helps non-profitable organisations provide support and guidance to those whose lives were affected by the June 2008 flood in the US.

Undoubtedly, the concert sold out within minutes, soon after tickets of this event were on sale and our lovable duo were on hand to entertain and amuse the crowd with their hilarious and comical takes on 80s TV theme tunes such as 'Dallas', 'Cheers' and one of Michael's favourite childhood shows, 'Who's the Boss?'. Speaking of 'Who's the Boss', Judith Light aka Claire Meade in Ugly Betty was in attendence to soak up the humour and to have a whale of a time as well. Michael even dressed up for the 80s occassion by opting for the 'Miami Vice' look with the white blazer and tie, a sky blue collared shirt and dark shades!

If you go on You Tube, you can find video clips of Michael and Becki at the event; you can tell that they are having fun and plus, they seem to have that special spark and light up the crowd, every time they set foot on stage or on set. Check out the third photo from the bottom left: as inbetween Michael and Becki is none other than Michael's mum!

*Pictures courtesy of Broadwayworld.com

Ugly Betty To Resume in the UK on Sept 5

Posted on 12 Aug 2008 by mswaichingliu || 0 comments

Attention all British UB fans, I saw this today whilst visiting the IMDB Ugly Betty forum: apparently, the official word is that the second season of Ugly Betty- which had its screening finished in the US a long time ago- will resume on Channel Four on Sept 5th after its (extremely, and shall I add painfully) long exodus from our screens. The show will be back on air on Friday evenings early next month- once Big Brother ends. 

There were early rumours that they would show Season 2 right from the BEGINIING when it returns (which would be ridiculous but ideal for those who missed it first time round); however I'd strongly reccomend that you visit the Channel Four website and its listings for constant updates on the show.

Or if you cannot wait that long, visit You Tube. A user going by the name of Nanyscia has posted all the Season 2, as well as Season 1 episodes on there.

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