Michelle Gardner
PRODUCER. ACTOR.
Originally from Arizona – although often mistaken for a native New Yorker – Michelle has been acting professionally most of her life.
After training in musical theatre at Emerson College and studying at The Lee Strasberg Institute at NYU, Michelle started working in a variety of stage productions and theatre companies across the country.
Some of her most noteworthy stage roles include Anita in West Side Story, Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun, Claudia in Blown Sideways Through Life, Aldonza in Man Of La Mancha. She is one of the few women in regional theatre to perform all 42 personalities of Sam in the solo comedy, Fully Committed. She was named “Best Reason to Stand in Line for Theatre Tickets” by New Times, and Backstage West called her “an absolute tour de force” for her cameo performance in Shake. To date, she has performed in over 100 stage productions.
On your TV set she has been seen working opposite such highly respected artists as Hugh Laurie in House, Forest Whitaker in Criminal Minds, and Janeane Garofalo in Nadine in Dateland. She has been featured in notable roles on Six Feet Under, The Event, MTV’s Death Valley, Judging Amy, Joan of Arcadia, Without A Trace, Shark, and fighting for her client opposite Emily Deschanel on Bones.
Most recently, Michelle has been developing a new stage show that incorporates music with American Sign Language, which debuted at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Her segment of Linkin Park’s ‘Waiting for the End’ was reviewed as “totally unique”, “an incredible translation” and “a great piece that definitely left me wanting more.”
As a producer, her short film Tenant was an official selection at the 2011 Dances with Films Festival and the Hollywood Fringe Festival. She continues to develop films that focus on the art of storytelling and collaborates with artists who share this vision.