Michael Bower is an American actor best known for his role as Eddie "Donkeylips" Gelfen on the television program '' Salute Your Shorts'', which aired from 1991 to 1992 on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

and for which he won a

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

Career

Born in

Tarzana, California Tarzana () is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Tarzana is on the site of a former ranch owned by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is named after Burroughs' fictional jungle hero, Tarzan. His ...

, Bower made his film debut in

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's 1988 ''

Moonwalker ''Moonwalker'' is a 1988 American experimental film, experimental anthology film, anthology musical film starring Michael Jackson. Rather than featuring one continuous narrative, the film expresses the influence of fandom and innocence through ...

''. He had appearances in episodic television series such as '' Webster'', ''

Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...

'', ''

Empty Nest ''Empty Nest'' is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from October 8, 1988, to June 17, 1995. The series, which was created as a spin-off of ''The Golden Girls'' by creator and producer Susan Harris, starred Richa ...

'', ''

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

'', ''

Hull High ''Hull High'' (also known as ''Hull Street High'') is an American musical teen comedy television series which aired on NBC from August 20 to December 30, 1990. The series was created and executive produced by Gil Grant. Synopsis ''Hull High'' ...

'', ''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl X ...

'', and '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', before being brought into '' Salute Your Shorts'' for 20 episodes as the major character Eddie 'Donkeylips' Gelfen. After that series, he continued with guest roles on well-known television series, including that of

Monica Geller Monica E. Geller (born June 15, 1969) is a fictional character, one of the List of Friends and Joey characters, six main characters who appears on the American sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004). Created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and ...

's (

Courteney Cox Courteney Bass Cox (born June 15, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She rose to international prominence by playing Monica Geller in the NBC sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004) and Gale Weathers in the horror film franchise '' Scream'' ...

) prom date on an episode of ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...

''. He has also appeared in movies such as '' Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School'' and

Ivan Reitman Ivan Reitman (; October 27, 1946 – February 12, 2022) was a Canadian film director and producer. He was known for his comedy films, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. Reitman was the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 1998. ...

's ''

Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...

''. Bower had a small role in an episode of the FOX series '' Dark Angel'', and played in the indie film ''Social Misfits'', and the comedy short film '' Dinner with Raphael'' (written and directed by Joey Boukadakis). Bower appeared as a contestant on the game show ''

Fun House A funhouse or fun house is an attraction found in amusement parks and funfair midways, equipped with various devices designed to surprise, challenge, or amuse visitors. Unlike thrill rides or dark rides, fun houses are participatory attractions ...

'' in the late 1980s as well as ''

Nick Arcade ''Nick Arcade'' (also stylized ''Nickelodeon Arcade'') is an American game show, children's game show created by James Bethea and Karim Miteff and hosted by Phil Moore (actor), Phil Moore, with Andrea Lively announcing, that aired on Nickelodeo ...

'' in the early 1990s. He also appears in the music video for "Download This Song" by

MC Lars Andrew Robert Nielsen (born October 6, 1982), known professionally as MC Lars, is an American rapper, producer, educator, and founder of Horris Records. A graduate of Stanford University and the University of Oxford, he is credited as a pioneer ...

. He has also appeared as a contestant on ''

Singled Out ''Singled Out'' is an American dating game show created by Burt Wheeler & Sharon Sussman which originally ran on MTV from 1995 to 1998. Each episode was split between 50 single women competing for a date with one male contestant, and 50 single ...

'' and had a guest role on ''

'' as Peter Armbruster in 3 episodes in the early 1990s. He provides the voice of "Eugene Reaper" in ''

Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's ''Grand Theft Auto: San And ...

''. Bower can also be seen on commercials for

Mountain Dew Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries and colloquially known as Dew in some areas, is a soft drink brand owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage Bottler (company), bottlers Barney and A ...

Amp Energy Mountain Dew Amp (or simply Amp) is an energy drink brand produced by PepsiCo. At the time of its introduction in 2001, Amp Energy was initially distributed under the Mountain Dew soft drink brand. Beginning in 2009, it was produced and labeled un ...

Drinks as a high-voltage, dancing mechanic.

Awards

*1992 -

winner - Best Young Actor in a Cable Series - '' Salute Your Shorts''

Selected filmography

Television

* '' Webster'' (1 episode, 1988) as Mayor * '' Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All'' (1989) as Velda's Nephew * ''

'' (1 episode, 1989) as Junior * ''

'' (2 episodes, 1989–1990) as Josh * ''

'' (1 episode, 1990) as Joey * ''

'' (1 episode, 1990) as Big Boy * ''

'', ( 3 episodes, 1990–1991) as Peter Armbruster, Kid, Joe * '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', (2 episodes, 1990–1991) as Boy Nerd, Josh * '' Salute Your Shorts'', (26 episodes, 1991–1992) as Eddie 'Donkeylips' Gelfen * ''

Running the Halls ''Running the Halls'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC's TNBC Saturday morning lineup. The series was created by Steve Slavkin. The show consisted of 13 episodes, which aired on from September 11 to December 4, 1993, and aired ...

'' (1 episode, 1993) as Super George * ''The Day My Parents Ran Away'' (1993) as Richie * ''

Weird Science Weird Science may refer to: * ''Weird Science'' (film), a 1985 film directed by John Hughes ** ''Weird Science'' (TV series), a television series based on the film ** "Weird Science" (song), the theme song to the film and the TV series by Oingo ...

'' (1 episode, 1994) as Kyle * ''

California Dreams ''California Dreams'' is an American teen sitcom that aired on NBC. It was part of the network's Saturday morning block, TNBC, premiering on September 12, 1992. Created by writers Brett Dewey and Ronald B. Solomon, and executive produced by ...

'', TV (2 episodes, 1992–1994) as Tommy * '' Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills'' (1 episode, 1995) as Alex * ''

'' (1 episode, 1996) as Roy Gublik * ''

Rescue 77 ''Rescue 77'' is an American medical drama television series about the professional and personal lives of paramedics in Los Angeles, California. The series created by Gregory Widen and aired from March 15 to May 3, 1999, on The WB. The creator ...

'' (1 episode, 1999) as Party Guy * ''

Chicken Soup for the Soul Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC is an American self-help and consumer goods company based in Cos Cob, Connecticut. It is known for the ''Chicken Soup for the Soul'' book series. The first book, like most subsequent titles in the series, consisted ...

'' (1 episode, 2000) as Henry * ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...

'' (

First Person Shooter A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through the eyes of the main character. This genre sha ...

, 2000) * '' Dark Angel'' ( Brainiac, 2002) * ''

Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

'' (1 episode, 2006) as Peter * '' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'' ( Living Doll, 2007) * ''

Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...

'' ( The Finder, 2011) as Sam Nozik * ''

Raising Hope ''Raising Hope'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia that aired on Fox from September 21, 2010, to April 4, 2014. Following its first season, the show received two nominations at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Martha Pli ...

'' (1 episode, 2014) as Kevin

Film

* ''

'' (1988) (scenes deleted) * ''

She's Out of Control ''She's Out of Control'' is a 1989 American independent coming of age comedy film directed by Stan Dragoti, starring Tony Danza, Ami Dolenz and Catherine Hicks. The original music score was composed by Alan Silvestri. The film was marketed with ...

'' (1989) as Kid at Beach * ''Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School'' (1990) as Glen Tanksley * ''

The Willies ''The Willies'' is the 15th album by Bill Frisell to be released on the Elektra Nonesuch label. It was released in 2002 and features performances by Frisell, Danny Barnes on banjo, pump organ & harmonica and bassist Keith Lowe. Reception Th ...

'' (1990) as Gordy Belcher * ''Captain Nuke and the Bomber Boys'' (1995) as Frank Pescoe * ''

High School High ''High School High'' is a 1996 American comedy film about an inner city high school in the Los Angeles, California area, starring Jon Lovitz, Tia Carrere, Mekhi Phifer, Louise Fletcher, Malinda Williams, and Brian Hooks. It is a spoof of fi ...

'' (1996) as Heckler (Uncredited) * ''

Dude, Where's My Car? ''Dude, Where's My Car?'' is a 2000 American stoner comedy film directed by Danny Leiner. The film stars Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott as two best friends who find themselves unable to remember where they parked their vehicle after a ...

'' (2000) as Big Cult Guard * ''Social Misfits'' (2001) as Edgar * ''

'' (2001) as Danny Donald * ''

Wishcraft ''Wishcraft'' is a 2002 American slasher film directed by Richard Wenk (credited as Danny Graves) and starring Michael Weston and Alexandra Holden. The screenplay concerns a teenager who receives a talisman that gives him three wishes. Plot A hi ...

'' (2002) as Tony * ''Sex and the Teenage Mind'' (2002) as Dwayne * '' Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School'' (2005) as Tommy Tanksley * '' Dinner with Raphael'' (2009) as Raphael, Jimmy * '' Perfect Combination'' (2010) as Tony * ''

Dumbbells The dumbbell, a type of free weight, is a piece of equipment used in weight training. It is usually used individually and/or in pairs, with one in each hand. History The forerunner of the dumbbell, halteres, were used in ancient Greece as li ...

'' (2014) as Erwin * ''Cocked'' (2015) as Technician * ''The Bread of Wickedness'' (2018)

Video games

* '' Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories'' (2006) as Commercial Voice, People of Vice City * ''

Bully Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing, comments, or threats, in order to abuse, aggressively dominate, or intimidate one or more others. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perc ...

'' (2006) as Mr. Buckingham * ''

'' (2008) as Eugene Reaper, The Crowd of Liberty City, Commercial * '' Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony'' (2009) as Eugene Reaper (Archive Footage) * '' Halo 3: ODST'' (2009) as Additional Voices * ''

Red Dead Redemption ''Red Dead Redemption'' is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. A successor to 2004's ''Red Dead Revolver'', it is the second game in the ''Red Dead'' series. ''Red Dead Redemption'' is se ...

'' (2010) as The Local Population * '' Star Wars: The Old Republic'' (2011) as Additional Voices (Uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bower, Michael Ray American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors Contestants on American game shows Living people Male actors from Los Angeles Nickelodeon people People from Tarzana, Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Year of birth missing (living people)