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Michael Des Barres

Michael Des Barres

Prior to embarking on a successful film and television acting career, Michael Des Barres toured the world as a member of several popular rock groups. Also, as the son of the Marquis Des Barres of France, he carries a hereditary title that is 800 years old.

His father was also a jazz singer, which lent him an early appreciation of music. After studying acting at school, he landed roles in James Clavell's To Sir, With Love; and in stage productions of Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Taming of the Shrew. He detoured into music in 1972, when a demo record he made led to a meeting with Andrew Lloyd Webber and the quick assemblage of the glam rock band, Silverhead.

Des Barres moved to Los Angeles in 1975, becoming a prominent player in the outrageous rock scene that buzzed on the Sunset Strip. He was a member of the group Detective from 1977-79. He recorded a solo record, I'm Only Human, and then went on to form the group Chequered Past (1982-84) which included former Sex Pistols member Steve Jones. In 1985, Des Barres substituted for Robert Palmer on the band Power Station's world tour; and performed at that summer's historic Live Aid concert with fellow Power Station members John and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. (Des Barres and John Taylor are once more in a band together, on-screen, in Sugar Town.)

In addition, Des Barres scored Adrian Lyne's 9 1/2 Weeks; wrote poetry; and penned the hit song Obsession. He released his solo album, Somebody Up There Likes Me, in 1986, just prior to devoting himself to acting full-time.

His acting career has included recurring roles on the hit series Melrose Place, Roseanne, and MacGyver; and a series-regular role on the syndicated revival of WKRP in Cincinnati. In addition, he has guest-starred on several series, including The Pretender, Just Shoot Me, JAG, Sliders, Seinfeld, Ellen, Northern Exposure, Lois & Clark, L.A. Law, Miami Vice, and St. Elsewhere.

Des Barres' feature film credits include, for Sugar Town co-writer and co-director Kurt Voss, Poison Ivy: The New Seduction; as well as The Hungry Bachelor's Club, A Simple Twist Of Fate, Widow's Kiss, Under Siege, Pink Cadillac, Nightflyers, and Ghoulies.


Note: This profile was written in or before 1999.

Michael Des Barres Facts

OccupationActor
BirthdayJanuary 24, 1948 (76)
SignAquarius
BirthplaceEngland, United Kingdom

Selected Filmography

Under Siege
The Wedding Date
The Widowmaker
Partners
Cleo Rocks
Poison Ivy 3: The New Seduction
Waxwork II: Lost In Time
MacGyver
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