Nearly unrecognizable in his portrayals, Michael Aronov is a Tony Award-winning actor that has made a name for himself by pushing the boundaries on stage and screen. He spent three seasons on the award winning series The Americans (2013), playing a physicist that is torn from his family and exiled as a political prisoner. In film, Michael is most known for his role as Chovka, the Chechen warlord and head gangster opposite Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini in The Drop (2014). He was added to the cast of The Blacklist (2013) in their season five premier as fast-talking lovable hustler, Smokey Putnam (2017). Aronov had already taken on the gritty undercover world in the Bronx as Danny Raden – a series-lead apposite Larenz Tate in BET’s original pilot/film Gun Hill (2011). Previously he paralleled Jim Caviezel’s character as Michael Cahill in Person of Interest (2011), donning the role of another undercover cop searching for symmetry between family and the streets. Michael was later seen as avenging father and Italian royalty, Count Vincent of Naples in Reign (2013). Other notable television appearances include Danny Lambros on The Good Wife (2009), cocksure Mafia protege Ricky Vintano on Blue Bloods (2010), billionaire Brice Hunter on Without a Trace (2002), and recurring roles on Madam Secretary (2014) and The Closer (2005), where Aronov portrayed concealed war criminal Armand Marku, pitting him head-to-head with Kyra Sedgwick in a gripping season finale. Earlier in his career the actor earned respect for his unique level of immersion into a role as he lost nearly fifty pounds to reflect the authentic downfall of Sacco Valenzia, a charismatic and boundless addict in the Sundance Film Festival favorite and 2011 Independent Spirit Award nominated film – Lbs. (2004).
For his stage work Michael received the “Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play” in 2017. He was also honored with the “Lucille Lortel Award”, the “Obie Award”, and received “Drama Desk Award” and “Outer Critics Circle Award” nominations for his role as Uri Savir in the Broadway play “Oslo” (2016-2017). Just prior to that the actor originated the role of Paul in Lyle Kessler’s “First Born” at The Actors Studio in New York (2016). He won “The Elliot Norton Award – Best Actor”, for also originating the lead role in Theresa Rebeck’s “Mauritius” (2006). On Broadway he had also appeared as Siggie, in the Tony-nominated revival of “Golden Boy” (2012-2013), directed by Bartlett Sher. Previously he worked with Sher and Lincoln Center yet again, playing Gromov, in the American premiere of “Blood and Gifts” (2011). To sold-out houses at the 78th Street Theatre Lab and later the Harold Clubman theatre in New York, Michael gave audiences a wild run as six polarities in his solo-show “Manigma” (2010, 2006). In Europe he portrayed Stanley Kowalski in the classic “A Streetcar Named Desire” (2009). The actor also took on Jean in “Miss Julie” (2004) at the Cherry Lane Theatre, Dionysus in “The Bacchae 2.1” (2001); and Edgar in an award winning production of “King Lear” (1999).
