Biography
Michael Villani is an actor and voice-over artist based in Los Angeles, active since graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1970. After 15 years in radio, Mike launched his Hollywood career as a Page at NBC, contributing to iconic shows such as The Tonight Show, Laugh In, and Hollywood Squares. He co-starred alongside Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer in Up Close and Personal, appeared in Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones, and featured in Wag the Dog with Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman. Mike portrayed Merv Griffin in Milos Forman’s Man On The Moon, the Andy Kaufman biopic starring Jim Carrey, and also appeared in Bruce Almighty. His film credits include The Girl Next Door and Dreamgirls, where he performed with Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé Knowles. He played himself as the Ditech.com mortgage company spokesman in the Christian Bale film VICE.
On television, Mike has held co-starring roles in popular series like Criminal Minds, CSI, and Fresh Off the Boat.
For 18 years, Mike served as the announcer for the Hollywood Film Festival. He was the venue announcer for Indoor Volleyball at the 2004 Athens Olympics and repeated this role at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2010, he was the venue announcer for Figure Skating at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and in 2014 he was the English announcer at Olympic Park during the Sochi Winter Games. Mike announced Indoor Volleyball at the 2011 Arab Games in Doha, Qatar, and the FIVB World League Finals in Rio in 2015. That same year, he was the Beach Volleyball announcer for The World Games Special Olympics in Los Angeles. In May 2016, he announced at the Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida. During the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Mike was the venue announcer for Indoor Volleyball and Sitting Volleyball at the Paralympics. He also served as the PA announcer for the BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament in Indian Wells, California, for two years. Mike announced the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Sitting Volleyball at the Wounded Warrior Games at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. In August 2019, he was the PA announcer for Softball at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, and he also announced Sitting Volleyball at the Tokyo Paralympics. Additionally, Mike works "Inside the Ropes" with the PGA as a starter at the Genesis Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
In the gaming world, Mike provided the voices for Peach Wilkins in BIOSHOCK and Lord Ignatius in WORLD OF WARCRAFT.
Commercially, Mike was the national spokesman for DiTech.com for eleven years and served as the international voice for Warner Brothers Television, among numerous other credits. He is the voice of the Anaheim Police Department, where he has been a Technical Reserve officer for 39 years and received the Reserve Officer of the Year Award in 2016. Mike also acts as Master of Ceremonies for various corporate, charitable events, and golf tournaments throughout Southern California.
