Michael Kostroff

Last updated
Michael Kostroff
Born (1961-05-22) May 22, 1961 (age 62)
OccupationActor
Years active1980–present

Michael Kostroff (born May 22, 1961) is an American actor. He appeared on the HBO program The Wire as defense attorney Maurice Levy. [1] [2] Kostroff starred in the fifth season of the series and appeared in all four earlier seasons as a guest star.

Contents

Life and career

Kostroff is best known for his five seasons playing drug lawyer Maury Levy on the HBO series The Wire , and from his recurring appearances on The Blacklist , Billions , The Good Wife , Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and on the Disney Channel series Sonny with a Chance as Marshall Pike, the executive producer and the creator of So Random! . He played Peter Madoff, brother of Bernie Madoff (Robert De Niro), in HBO's The Wizard of Lies and Shepsie Tirschwell in David Simon's 2020 miniseries The Plot Against America .

From 2002 to 2003, Kostroff performed in the first national tour of Mel Brooks' Broadway hit The Producers , and from 2003 to 2004, he played the comic villain Thénardier in the touring company of Les Misérables, a role he reprised for the 25th Anniversary Tour in 2010.

Kostroff is the author of the books Letters from Backstage (a chronicle of his time on the road with two Broadway tours), [3] The Stage Actor's Handbook: Traditions, Protocols, and Etiquette for the Working and Aspiring Professional, Audition Psych 101 (based on his workshop of the same name), and Advice from 'The Working Actor', (a textbook based around the Working Actor column in the weekly publication, Backstage).

He also volunteered on the Barack Obama campaign. [4]

Kostroff is the brother of Nina Kostroff Noble, a television producer who was an executive producer of The Wire.

Kostroff was one of the writers of "The Working Actor," a weekly Backstage advice column.

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1989 Return from the River Kwai Radio ManUnreleased in the US [5]
1997 Liar Liar Tom the Attorney
1998BluntDet. Prang
2008 Eagle Eye Jeweler
2011Hit ListMr. Weller
2014Best Man in the DarkRicky Feruci
2016 Norman Steve Goldfarb
Hard Sell Mr. Harrison
2017 Molly's Game Louis Butterman
2018 Most Likely to Murder Uncle Fred
2019 The Sunlit Night Critic #3
Standing Up, Falling Down Rabbi
2022 Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game Chairman Warner
2023 Maybe I Do Manny
Chupa Taylor
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1980 The Dream Merchants Brooklyn A.D.Mini-series; 2 episodes
1992 Knots Landing Orderly #1Episode: "Dedicated to the One I Love"
1994The Steven Banks ShowPepperEpisode: "Miss Janie Regrets"
1995 Partners Harried ManEpisode: "City Hall"
General Hospital FrancisUnknown episodes
1997–1998 NewsRadio CarlEpisode: "Planbee"
Episode: "Who's the Boss: Part 2"
1998 Dharma & Greg LouEpisode: "Much Ado During Nothing"
1999 Ladies Man AlanEpisode: "No Cinco, Seis!"
Port Charles Johnny LaLaUnknown episodes
2000–2001 The Geena Davis Show Mr. KernEpisode: "Motherly Advice"
Episode: "Momma Bear"
Episode: "White Moms Can't Jump"
2001 Providence Floral DesignerEpisode: "You Can Count on Me"
Men, Women & Dogs SteveEpisode: "Sick as a Dog"
Felicity BillEpisode: "A Perfect Match"
2001–2003 The King of Queens Mr. ThompsonEpisode: "No Retreat"
Episode: "Food Fight"
Episode: "Affidavit Justice"
2002 Malcolm in the Middle ToadieEpisode: "Company Picnic: Part 1"
Episode: "Company Picnic: Part 2"
2002–2008 The Wire Maurice Levy Recurring (seasons 1-4)/main cast (season 5); 21 episodes
2004 The West Wing Richard SquireEpisode: "A Change Is Gonna Come"
8 Simple Rules PhotographerEpisode: "A Very C.J. Christmas"
2005 ER Community Theater DirectorEpisode: "The Show Must Go On"
The Inside Rick ByersEpisode: "The Perfect Couple"
2005–2006 Boston Legal N/A
Dr. David Cannon
Episode: "The Ass Fat Jungle"; uncredited
Episode: "Helping Hands"
Veronica Mars Mr. PopeEpisode: "Cheatty Cheatty Bang Bang"
Episode: "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner"
Episode: "The Quick and the Wed"
2006 Charmed Mr. MetcalfEpisode: "Payback's a Witch"; uncredited
Commander in Chief Reporter CyEpisode: "State of the Unions"
The Closer Dr. Aaron SandsEpisode: "Heroic Measures"
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip David LangenfeldEpisode: "Nevada Day: Part 1"
Episode: "Nevada Day: Part 2"
2007 In Case of Emergency Mr. HuntEpisode: "Stuck in Amber"
The Wedding Bells Milton CrestEpisode: "Partly Cloudy, with a Chance of Disaster"
Life McAllisterEpisode: "A Civil War"
2008 Without a Trace Dr. CappellEpisode: "Hard Reset"
Eli Stone Judge Timothy NelsonEpisode: "Help!"
Dan's Detour of LifeDan FordLead role; unsold pilot
2009–2010 Sonny with a Chance Marshall PikeRecurring role; 15 episodes
2009 Brothers & Sisters RealtorEpisode: "From France with Love"
2010 Cold Case Wilson Katz (1974)Episode: "The Runaway Bunny"
The Middle SteveEpisode: "TV or Not TV"
Party Down Jeff GoldEpisode: "Jackal Onassis Backstage Party"
Sons of Tucson Mr. ShuldinerEpisode: "Chicken Pox"
Weeds Stroller SalesmanEpisode: "A Yippity Sippity"
2011–2021 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Evan BraunRecurring role; 8 episodes
2012 NYC 22 Brandon KenEpisode: "Self Cleaning Oven"
Damages Judge Richard GearheartRecurring role; 5 episodes
Made in Jersey HankEpisode: "Ridgewell"
2013 Blue Bloods Mr. WojcikEpisode: "Framed"
Banshee Wicks VanderwickEpisode: "Wicks"
2013–2016 The Good Wife Charles FroinesEpisode: "The Bit Bucket"
Episode: "Parallel Construction, Bitches"
Episode: "All Tapped Out"
Episode: "Landing"
2014The ActressDr. HershamEpisode: "The Dermatologist"
Black Box Jacob MyersEpisode: "Jerusalem"
F to 7thMikeEpisode: "Deny, Deny, Deny"
Episode: "Down to Zero"
Louie Subway ManEpisode: "Pamela: Part 1"
Gotham Officer TannenbaumEpisode: "Pilot"
2015 The Blacklist Det. Martin WilcoxEpisode: "Ruslan Denisov"
Episode: "The Deer Hunter"
Episode: "The Major"
Episode: "Tom Keen"
Deadbeat Barrold WeinbergersteinEpisode: "Last Dance with Edith Jane"
Episode: "The Blowfish Job"
Episode: "The Polaroid Flasher"
Elementary Perry FranklinEpisode: "The Best Way Out Is Always Through"
2016 Bosch Hank MyersEpisode: "Victim of the Night"
Vinyl Allen CharnitskiEpisode: "E.A.B."
Luke Cage Dr. Noah Burstein Recurring role; 4 episodes
Madam Secretary Ambassador Chuck WillisEpisode: "Tectonic Shift"
2017 The Wizard of Lies Peter Madoff TV movie
2017–2018 The Deuce RizziRecurring role; 8 episodes
2018 Instinct John RaymondEpisode: "Blast from the Past"
NCIS: Los Angeles Robert FentonEpisode: "A Diamond in the Rough"
Indoor BoysRichardRecurring role; 3 episodes
2018–2021 Billions Mick NussfaurEpisode: "Hell of a Ride"
Episode: "Maximum Recreational Depth"
Episode: "Victory Smoke"
2020 Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector Dr. Allen TraskEpisode: "Game On"
The Plot Against America Shepsie TirchwellMain cast; 6 episodes
The Baker and the Beauty Eli WeissEpisode: "Get Carried Away"
The George Lucas Talk Show HimselfEpisode: "Stu-D2 1138 on the Binary Sunset Sith"
2021 Prodigal Son Dr. Raymond StengelEpisode: "Sun and Fun"
2022 9-1-1: Lone Star Dr. PattEpisode: "Down to Clown"
Animal Kingdom David2 episodes
Law & Order Evan BraunEpisode: "Gimme Shelter - Part Three"
NCIS Felix LassiterEpisode: "Love Lost"
2023 Platonic Frank Schaeffer2 episodes
Carol & the End of the World (voice)Episode: "The Distraction"
2024 The Rookie RafaelEpisode: "Trouble in Paradise"
Music video
YearArtistTitle
2008 Demi Lovato "La La Land"

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References

  1. "Cast & Crew - Michael Kostroff as Maurice "Maury" Levy". HBO. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
  2. "Character profile - Maurice "Maury" Levy". HBO. 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
  3. Letters from Backstage
  4. J. Patrick Coolican. "Actor wired in to Obama camp", Las Vegas Sun , 2008 January 13. Retrieved on 2008 June 27.
  5. Team of the year: Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, Managing Intellectual Property; London Iss. 88, (Apr 1999): 39.