Michael Terry Weiss was born on February 2, 1962 in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a steel-industry executive and his mother was a homemaker. He began his acting career as a child in local TV commercials in Chicago. In 1980, at the age of 18, he had his first movie role as an extra in the movie Ordinary People. He attended college at USCand shortly after graduating in 1984, he landed his first role as Dr. Mike Horton on Days of Our Lives. He also worked for a while as a personal fitness trainer where many of his clients were fellow actors including Pierce Brosnan and James Brolin. He is best known for his role on The Pretender. He has also had significant roles in the movie Jeffrey, the animated series The Legend of Tarzan, and a recurring role on Crossing Jordan. Michael has a sister Jamie Sue Weiss who is a make-up artist for Television and Films.