Biography
Michael Laurie was born in Leigh Park, a large suburb of Havant in Hampshire on England’s south coast. His father, Charles, was a fifth-generation dockworker specializing as an iron caulker and riveter. As a child, Laurie enjoyed great freedom exploring the South Downs, captivated by its striking coastline and footpaths. He spent his youth playing in the ocean waters teeming with marine life among the rocks and tide pools. It was on these South Coast beaches that he first learned to swim, a practice he continues daily. Throughout junior and secondary school, Laurie excelled particularly in Drama. After finishing school, inspired by his father’s advice, "If you want to make it in life, get a trade," Laurie trained as a construction plant and machinery fitter and an auto mechanic, eventually working on historic racing cars and as part of a pit crew.
A performance of the original cast of "Cats" at London’s Drury Lane Theatre inspired him to move to the city to pursue his true passion. Laurie trained classically under Viviane Guignard, a long-time faculty member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, in her London home. There, he practiced scenes, monologues, and elocution exercises to shed his regional accent, often accompanied by Guignard’s friendly pigeons that entered through perpetually open French doors, even in freezing temperatures. He briefly studied at Harlequin Studios in London’s Bayswater before earning a two-year scholarship at the London School of Singing. Laurie then emerged onto the club scene, performing in pubs and clubs. A chance reunion with impressionist John Scott, a former schoolmate, led them to form the comedy duo "Scott Free," combining impressions, comedy, and singing on variety club circuits and holiday camps nationwide.
After the duo split, Laurie returned to singing and frequently worked as a host in London strip clubs. During this period, he also pursued acting, securing recurring television roles and writing and hosting "Tattoo," a docudrama about the tattoo industry on England’s South Coast. His shift to stand-up comedy came naturally as he began adding more banter between songs, discovering that the laughter and extra income motivated him further. Feeling limited in a small town, Laurie flew to Los Angeles in the late 1980s for a brief visit but quickly started booking stand-up gigs. Advised that New York was the best place to learn comedy, he relocated there and performed at numerous showcase clubs.
In New York, Laurie continued his acting studies, graduating from the Actors Institute and the Susan Slavin Actors and Singers Academy. After five years, he returned to Los Angeles, enrolling in and graduating from the Ruskin School of Acting in Santa Monica after completing a two-year Meisner Technique course. He had the privilege of attending classes taught by Sir Anthony Hopkins and Anthony Franciosa. Laurie became a founding member of the Ruskin Group Theatre, producing their LA Café Plays series and directing "Collected Stories." He spent three seasons with The Globe of America, performing in productions such as "Androcles and the Lion," "The Fir Tree," and "The Unsinkable Titanic" during their residency at The Royal Theatre aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. Laurie was also a member of the resident improv troupe "Improv-Xing." His extensive Los Angeles theatre credits include performances at The Hermosa Beach Playhouse, San Gabriel Civic Auditorium, and Fullerton Playhouse.
