Michael Quentin Schmidt (born April 20, 1953) is an American film and television actor and
Fine Arts
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwo ...
model.
According to ''
Film Threat
''Film Threat'' is an online film review publication, and earlier, a national magazine that focused primarily on independent film, although it also reviewed videos and DVDs of mainstream films, as well as Hollywood movies in theaters. It first ...
'', he "has become a much-in-demand presence thanks to his versatility and his willingness to take roles to wild extremes".
Modeling
Schmidt has worked as a
Fine Arts
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwo ...
model since the late 1990s, posing for
art classes and for
live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
* Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of album ...
art installation
Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called ...
s.
He was used as the body model to create the computer-animated mountain troll for the 2001 film ''
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone''.
Television roles
In 2003, Schmidt's modeling work led to an ongoing series of
live appearances as a model for ''
Let's Paint TV'', an
interactive
Across the many fields concerned with interactivity, including information science, computer science, human-computer interaction, communication, and industrial design, there is little agreement over the meaning of the term "interactivity", but m ...
call-in
In broadcasting, a phone-in or call-in is a programme format in which viewers or listeners are invited to air their live comments by telephone, usually in respect of a specific topic selected for discussion on the day of the broadcast. On radio ( ...
television show where host and artist John Kilduff
instructs on painting while simultaneously
running on a treadmill, preparing food or drink, and fielding uncensored phone calls.
[
]
Schmidt became part of the
Tim & Eric
Tim & Eric are an American comedy duo consisting of Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim. They are the creators and stars of the Adult Swim television series '' Tom Goes to the Mayor'', '' Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'', ''Check It Out! ...
team when in 2004 he joined their acclaimed ''
Tom Goes to the Mayor'', broadcast on
Cartoon Network's
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
.
Additionally, their
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
series ''
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job'' (TEASGJ) features Schmidt in various episodes, where he is listed as among the Top Ten Favorite Recurring Characters. In August 2007, he performed at
The Troubadour in Hollywood in a live version of the show entitled "Muscles for Bones" featuring
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, actor and author. He is best known for creating comedy songs that make light of pop culture and often parody specifi ...
, and followed in November 2007 with the ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show Live'' performance at
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks.
Caesar ...
as part of
The Comedy Festival. He performed at the ''Tim and Eric Live 2009'' shows in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
and
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...
.
Schmidt's other television work includes appearances on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's l ...
'', ''
Penn & Teller's Bullshit'', ''
Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency'', ''
Sunset Tan'' and ''
Comedy Central's Distraction''.
Schmidt works primarily in
independent productions
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independe ...
.
His first major
film role
A role (also rôle or social role) is a set of connected behaviors, rights, obligations, beliefs, and norms as conceptualized by people in a social situation. It is an expected or free or continuously changing behavior and may have a given indivi ...
was in ''Naked Shadows'', filmed in 2003 and released in
2006.
Schmidt's next lead roles were in ''Flesh Pit'' (2004), ''Skeletons in the Closet'' (2005), and multiple roles in ''The Three Trials'' (2006).
His most recent feature film role was in ''Snatched'' (2009).
Film roles

Schmidt has had numerous bit parts in films and has portrayed various characters as a supporting actor in
independent film
An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
s and
film short
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
s, including roles as 'Texas' George Gant in ''Rebel Studz: The Uncensored Documentary'' (2007), Billy Bob Barfield in ''Fear Ever After'' (2007), and Chug Skivens in ''Pretty Twisted'' (2009). He was cast to play
Rembrandt
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally co ...
's
Diana at Bath in the 2010 release of ''Caravaggio: The Search'' directed by
Maureen Murphy.
Schmidt also made featured appearances in numerous
music videos
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...
, including
M.I.A.'s 2010 video for "Born Free",
Flesh-n-Bone's 2011 video for "How Many",
Pierce the Veil's 2012 video for "King for a Day",
Motionless in White
Motionless in White is an American metalcore band from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2004, the band consists of lead vocalist Chris "Motionless" Cerulli, guitarists Ryan Sitkowski and Ricky "Horror" Olson, drummer Vinny Mauro and bassist Ju ...
's 2013 video for "A-M-E-R-I-C-A",
Lil Debbie
Jordan Mary Capozzi (born February 2, 1990), better known by her stage name Lil Debbie, is an American rapper, model and fashion designer. Debbie started her career in 2011 as part of the now-defunct group The White Girl Mob, with rappers Kreays ...
's 2014 video for "Work The Middle",
Waters' 2014 video for "I Feel Everything", and Charming Liars 2015 video for "Burn".
Partial filmography
Television
* ''
Let's Paint TV'' (11 episodes 2004–2015)
* ''
Tom Goes to the Mayor'' (28 episodes 2004–2006)
* ''
Distraction
Distraction is the process of diverting the attention of an individual or group from a desired area of focus and thereby blocking or diminishing the reception of desired information. Distraction is caused by: the lack of ability to pay attention ...
'' (6 episodes 2005–2006)
* ''
Penn & Teller: Bullshit!'' (2005)
* ''
Totally Busted
''Totally Busted'' is an adult hidden camera practical joke series that ran original episodes from 2003 to 2006 on Playboy TV.
Format
''Totally Busted'' bears a strong resemblance to past practical joke shows like ''Candid Camera'' and ''Punk'd ...
'' (2005)
* ''
North Mission Road
''North Mission Road'' is a documentary-style show that details "unique and compelling" cases of the Los Angeles County Coroner Department. It was first aired on truTV
TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable channel owned by Wa ...
'' (2005)
* ''
Attack of the Show!
''Attack of the Show!'' (''AOTS'') is an American live television program and that aired on G4. AOTS features segments on pop culture, video games, and movies. After an initial run from 2005 to 2013 (which originally aired from 2005 until 2013 ...
'' (2006)
* ''
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' is an American sketch comedy series created by and starring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, which premiered February 11, 2007 on Adult Swim and ran until May 2010. The show features surreal and often ...
'' (9 episodes 2007–2008)
* ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's l ...
'' (2007)
* ''
Praise the Lord'' (2007)
* ''
Tim and Eric Nite Live!
''Tim and Eric Nite Live!'' is an American web series, which premiered November 8, 2007 on SuperDeluxe. The talk show stars Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, creators of '' Tom Goes to the Mayor'' and ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'', and ...
'' (4 episodes 2007)
* ''
Poorman's Bikini Beach'' (2008)
* ''
The Gong Show with Dave Attell
''The Gong Show with Dave Attell'' was a revival of the 1970s Chuck Barris comedy game show called ''The Gong Show'', hosted by comedian Dave Attell. The show premiered on July 17, 2008. It was produced by Adam Sandler's production company Hap ...
'' (2008)
* ''
James Gunn's PG Porn
''James Gunn's PG Porn'' is a web series created by brothers James Gunn, Brian Gunn, and Sean Gunn. It consists of a series of pornography spoofs, with a humorous event occurring just before the supposed commencement of pornographic sexual acts. ...
'' (2008)
* ''
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Chrimbus Special'' (2010)
Film
* ''
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is a 1997 fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers hi ...
'' (2001)
* ''Schmucks'' (2001)
* ''
The Decay of Fiction
''The Decay of Fiction'' is a 2002 American 35mm part color and part black-and-white experimental film noir project directed by independent filmmaker and artist Pat O'Neill. The film, initially conceived as a documentary, was produced by O'Neil ...
'' (2002)
* ''Santa Claus Versus the Christmas Vixens'' (2002)
* ''Hired'' (2004)
* ''Clean'' (2004)
* ''Tooth Radio'' (2004)
* ''Streakers'' (2004)
* ''Flesh Pit'' (2004)
* ''The Green Book'' (2004)
* ''The Confession'' (2005)
* ''Skeletons in the Closet'' (2005)
* ''Temporary'' (2005)
* ''Tears of a Clown'' (2005)
* ''Ninja What?'' (2005)
* ''A Happy Ending'' (2005)
* ''Coming Home'' (2005)
* ''A Happy Ending'' (2005)
* ''Dancing with Pain'' (2006)
* ''Shadow Man'' (2006)
* ''Axegrinder'' (2006)
* ''Corporate ThugZ'' (2006)
* ''The Three Trials'' (2006)
* ''
18 Fingers of Death!
''18 Fingers of Death!'' is a 2006 parody kung-fu film made, written, directed and starring James Lew. Also starring are Maurice Patton as Ronald Mack, Pat Morita as Mr. Lee, and Lisa Arturo as Sushi Cue. Lori Beth Denberg
Lori Beth Denberg ...
'' (2006)
* ''Huge Naked Guy'' (2006)
* ''Naked Shadows'' (2006)
* ''Fear Ever After'' (2007)
* ''
Skid Marks
A skid mark is the visible mark left by any solid which moves against another, and is an important aspect of trace evidence analysis in forensic science and forensic engineering. Skid marks caused by tires on roads occur when a vehicle wheel s ...
'' (2007)
* ''Delaney'' (2008)
* ''A Very Peanus Christmas'' (2008)
IMDB entry for A Very Peanus Christmas
/ref>
* ''Cost of Living'' (2009)
* ''Snatched!'' (2009)
* ''Screening Room'' (2010)
* ''Forfeit of Grace'' (2010)
* ''Anti-Samartine Hotline'' (2010)
* ''Welcome Back Satan'' (2010)
* ''Camp Virginovich'' (2010)
* ''Caravaggio: The Search'' (2010)
* ''Hamlet A.D.D.
''Hamlet A.D.D.'' is a 2014 American independent film and web series directed by Bobby Ciraldo and Andrew Swant and produced by Special Entertainment. It re-imagines William Shakespeare's '' Hamlet'' as a bizarre and comical tour through the a ...
'' (2014)
References
External links
*
*
Michael Q. Schmidt at Online-Filmdatenbank
Michael Q. Schmidt: Portrait of an Indie Actor
(archived)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, Michael Q.
1953 births
Living people
American male film actors
American male television actors
Male actors from California
People from Greater Los Angeles
20th-century American male actors