Michael Christian Bendetti (born August 21, 1967) is an American former actor and film producer who was active on film from 1980s to 1990s.

Biography

Michael Christian Bendetti was born on August 21, 1967, in

Long Beach Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He studied at the

Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is a professional conservatory for actors in New York City. First operational from 1915 to 1927, the school re-opened in 1928 and has been active ever since. It is the birthplace of the Meisner ...

, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Bendetti's first

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

was in the

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

Screwball Hotel ''Screwball Hotel'' is a 1988 American and British comedy film directed by Rafal Zielinski and starring Michael Bendetti, Andrew Zeller, Jeff Greenman, Corinne Wahl, and Kelly Monteith. It is the second sequel to '' Screwballs''. Premise Thr ...

'' (1988). Also in that year, he appeared in the

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

''Lady Mobster'' (1988). Bendetti worked as a production assistant in the

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

The Taking of Beverly Hills ''The Taking of Beverly Hills'' is a 1991 American action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Ken Wahl, Matt Frewer, Harley Jane Kozak and Robert Davi. In the film, football hero Boomer Hayes (Wahl) battles a group of ex-cops, who are ...

'' (1991), and later starred in the

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

''Netherworld'' (1992). He appeared as Officer Anthony "Mac" McCann in ''

21 Jump Street ''21 Jump Street'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired from April 12, 1987 to April 27, 1991, spanning 103 episodes over five s ...

'' (1990-1991). Bendetti's role in ''21 Jump Street'' was the most successful of his acting career. He appeared in television series ''

Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz ...

'', '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', ''

My Two Dads ''My Two Dads'' is an American sitcom television series that was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions in association with Tri-Star Television (later Columbia Pictures Television) and distributed by TeleVentures. It stars Paul Reiser, Gre ...

'', ''

Red Shoe Diaries ''Red Shoe Diaries'' is an American erotic drama anthology series that aired on Showtime from 1992 to 1997, and was distributed by Playboy Entertainment, but as of 2025, Paramount Global Content Distribution overseas. It is a spin-off of the t ...

'' (which also his last notable production), ''The Monroes'', and in the television films ''

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake ''The Great Los Angeles Earthquake'' is a 1990 American made-for-television disaster film about a massive earthquake that strikes Los Angeles, California. The movie stars Joanna Kerns in the movie's lead role, seismologist Clare Winslow, who tries ...

'' and '' Amanda and the Alien''. Bendetti put his acting on hold for around five years and decided to end his active career as an actor and film producer. The period between 1995 and 2003 was only interrupted by Bendetti's involvement in the comedy film ''Between the Sheets'' (2003), which he worked as a producer alongside

Michael DeLuise Michael Robert DeLuise (born August 4, 1969) is an American actor, film director, and film producer best known as Tony Piccolo in ''seaQuest DSV'' (1994–1996), Officer Joey Penhall in ''21 Jump Street'' (1990–1991), and TJ in ''Gilmore Girls ...

, with whom he had worked several times before and

Scott Stephens Scott Stephens is an American television producer. He is an executive producer of ''True Detective'' and served as supervising producer on the western drama ''Deadwood'', for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Em ...

. Bendetti currently lives in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and nearby

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

Filmography

Film

Television

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bendetti, Michael 1967 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors Film producers from California Living people