Michael Paré
An actor whose brooding intensity in 1980s cult films cemented him as the archetypal leather-jacketed rocker and reluctant hero.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American actor·Birthday: October 9·Baby Boomers
Biography
Michael Paré emerged from the blue-collar ethos of Brooklyn to become an unexpected face of 1980s cinematic cool. With his chiseled features and quiet demeanor, he wasn't the typical Hollywood leading man; he was the guy from the neighborhood thrust into extraordinary circumstances. His breakthrough role as the enigmatic rock star Eddie Wilson in 'Eddie and the Cruisers' captured a specific kind of mythic, lost American youth, a performance that grew in stature long after the film's initial release. He followed it with Walter Hill's stylized rock-and-roll fable 'Streets of Fire,' solidifying his status as a cult icon. While mainstream blockbuster success proved elusive, Paré built a remarkably durable career, shifting seamlessly into direct-to-video action thrillers and television work with a dedicated work ethic. For a generation of fans, he remains forever frozen in time, the poster boy for a certain brand of neon-lit, guitar-driven nostalgia.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Michael was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as the titular Eddie Wilson in the cult film 'Eddie and the Cruisers' (1983), which gained a massive following on cable and home video.
- Played the lead role of Tom Cody in Walter Hill's stylized action-musical 'Streets of Fire' (1984).
- Headlined the CBS police drama 'Houston Knights' (1987-1988) opposite Michael Beck.
- Built a prolific career starring in over 100 direct-to-video and television films, particularly in the action and science-fiction genres.
Did You Know?
He worked as a chef in New York City before becoming an actor.
He turned down the role of Martin Riggs in 'Lethal Weapon,' which later went to Mel Gibson.
He is a licensed pilot and owns an aircraft.
He played the comic book hero The Phantom in a 2009 television film.
“Sometimes you just show up and do the job in front of you.”
