Michael Aronov

Early life

Aronov was born in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR (today in Uzbekistan). He grew up in Miami, Florida and graduated from the city's New World School of the Arts. In 1998 he graduated with a B.F.A in theatre at Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. He is Bukharian Jewish.

Career

Aronov spent three seasons on the award-winning series The Americans playing a physicist who is torn from his family and exiled as a political prisoner. In 2017 The Blacklist brought him on as a new member to the show's cast, playing Smokey Putnum, the lovable hustler and sidekick to James Spader. Aronov was also recurring as right-hand-man to John Malkovich in Showtime's Billions. Aronov played one of the leads in a series for Cinemax called Jett and was recently seen opposite Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac on the big screen in Operation Finale.

In film, Aronov is known for his role as Chovka, the Chechen warlord and head gangster opposite Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini in The Drop (2014). Other films include Lbs., Amexicano and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The actor also played Danny Raden - a series lead opposite Larenz Tate in BET's original pilot, Gun Hill. Aronov's other television work includes Count Vincent of Naples in the series Reign, Danny Lambros on The Good Wife, Michael Cahill on Person of Interest, Ricky Vintano on Blue Bloods, billionaire Brice Hunter on Without a Trace and recurring roles on Madam Secretary and The Closer.

For his stage work Aronov received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 2017 for his role as Uri Savir in the Broadway play Oslo. He was also honored with the Lucille Lortel Award, the Obie Award, and received Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for Oslo. Prior to that the actor originated the role of Paul in Lyle Kessler's First Born at The Actors Studio in New York. He won "The Elliot Norton Award - Best Actor", for originating the lead role in Theresa Rebeck's Mauritius. On Broadway he appeared as Siggie, in the Tony-nominated revival of Golden Boy (2012-2013), directed by Bartlett Sher. He worked with Sher and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts yet again, playing Gromov, in the American premiere of Blood and Gifts (2011). Aronov was also seen in his solo-show Manigma (2010, 2006), in New York City. 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).

Filmography

Television

Film

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Lefkowitz, Andy. (2017-06-11). "Oslo Standout Michael Aronov Wins His First Tony Award".
2. [https://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/237109/tonys-recap-bette-midler-ben-platt-and-rachel-bloom-steal-the-show Tonys Recap: Bette Midler, Ben Platt, and Rachel Bloom Steal the Show] Tablet. 12 June 2017
3. Spiro, Amy. (2017-09-23). "Michael Aronov cast as Mossad agent".
4. [https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/miami-com-news/article225743790.html These two men won Tony Awards after Florida Legislature wanted to defund their arts high school] Miami Herald. 12 June 2017
5. [http://www.playbill.com/article/schools-of-the-stars-where-oslo-cast-and-creators-went-to-college Schools of the Stars: Where Oslo Cast and Creators Went to College] Playbill. 13 April 2017
6. "Meadows Alums Earn 2017 Tony Awards".
7. "Jewish stars, directors and shows clean up at Tonys".
8. (Jun 13, 2017). "The Americans alum Michael Aronov wins at Tony Awards".
9. Fierberg, Ruthie. (Aug 3, 2017). "Tony Winner Michael Aronov to Appear on Season Premiere of NBC's The Blacklist".
10. (Sep 14, 2017). "'Oslo' Tony Winner Michael Aronov Joins Cast Of Eichmann Film 'Operation Finale'".
11. Entis, Laura. (2014-09-09). "'The Drop' Star James Gandolfini Remembered at NYC Premiere of Last Film".
12. (July 2024). "Meet the Cast of Gun Hill".
13. What to Stream Now. "Backstage Portraits From the 2017 Tony Awards". Vulture.
14. "Michael Aronov - Lortel Archives".
15. Hernandez, Ernio. (May 22, 2007). "Boston's Mauritius, Miss Witherspoon Win Elliot Norton Awards".
16. "Manigma | Theater | reviews, guides, things to do, film".