Birth name: Michael Patrick Boatman
Born: October 25, 1964
Birthplace: Colorado Springs, Colorado, United states
Education:
Western Illinois University

That name does look familiar, where might i have seen Michael Boatman?
He is probably best known for his role as Carter Heywood in the sitcom Spin City and as Stanley Babson the anal-retentive Chief Financial Officer in Arli$$. Boatman and his Spin City roommate Alan Ruck also co-starred in a 1995 syndicated sit-com called Muscle.

Early life:
Boatman was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the son of Gwendolyn Boatman Pugh, a job supervisor for the handicapped, and Daniel Boatman, an army officer. While growing up in the Chicago, Illinois area, Boatman developed an interest in acting. His initial interest in acting as a teen was purely mercenary, in that he thought it might be a way to meet girls. He proved to have a knack for acting and went on to study theater at Western Illinois University. He graduate in 1997 and received Western Illinois University's "Alumni Achievement Award"

After performing in a variety of plays that included A Midsummer Night's Dream, Purlie Victorious, and The Seagull, Boatman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986. Prior to graduation, Boatman showed great potential when he won the Best Supporting Actor Award for a performance in the Irene Ryan National Competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

He started his professional career by working for a casting agent, which eventually led him to the role of Motown in Hamburger Hill. From here, he moved to New York City to perform in a series of off-Broadway productions. This in turn, led to the role of Pvt. Samuel Beckett the private who ran the morgue on China Beach in ABC's drama China Beach.

Career:
Versatile supporting and occasional leading actor Michael Boatman has worked steadily on stage, screen, and television since making his feature film debut playing Motown in Hamburger Hill (1987).

Michael's other films include the lead role of J.J. Johnson in "The Glass Shield," Sidney Lumet's "Running On Empty," and the independent film, "Unbecoming Age." His theater work includes "The Glass Menagerie" in San Francisco and "Tiny Mommy" at Playwright's Horizons, a modern retelling of the biblical story of Joseph.

Boatman spent the next several years in a variety of film and television projects prior to being cast alongside Michael J. Fox as Carter in ABC's Spin City. For his work on the show he won the GLAAD award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and was also nominated for two N.A.A.C.P. IMAGE Awards.

In 2007 Michael co-starred in the feature films, The Killing of Wendy (2008), American Summer and My Father's Will. He has had many notable guest appearances, including the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 6 episode "Obscene", Less Than Perfect, Yes, Dear, Scrubs, CSI: Miami and Grey's Anatomy.
Michael is also a screenwriter and novelist. He writes in the splatterpunk horror genre, and his short stories are included in the multi-author anthologies, Until Someone Loses an Eye, Sages and Swords and Badass Horror, and magazines such as Weird Tales, Horror Garage and Red Scream. His first collection of short stories, God Laughs When You Die, was published by Dybbuk Press on October 23, 2007. His humorous horror novel, The Revenant Road, will be published by Drollerie Press in October 2008.

Personal life:
Michael's hobbies include reading, especially the works of David J. Schow, and he has been an avid comic book collector since third grade. He and his wife live in Los Angeles, California and New York with their daughter, Jordan.