Michael Gardiner is a NYC/NJ-based actor, director, writer, and producer.

Michael is a transformative and fearless character actor who has appeared on "Law & Order," Off-Broadway, high-level regional theatre, commercials, and indie film. Working extensively in theatre, some highlights include working with F. Murray Abraham in Albee's Fragments, directing Richard Kind in an industry reading of SantaCon: The Play, Eric Bogosian's 1+1 Off-B'way. Recently, he's garnered rave reviews in NYC for his portrayal of unhinged defense lawyer Fred Moore in the wildly satiric Sacco & Vanzetti Are Dead! at American Theater of Actors. His original play (co-written and performed with Justin Jager), piss.jpg (Working Title) at The Paradise Factory Theater gained similar raves and is generating palpable buzz in the downtown theatre scene for its comedic skewering of Arthur Miller and the avant-garde. 

From 2016-2024 he was the Managing Director of The Black Box, based in Northern NJ. As an actor/producer there, he developed new/under-produced plays by Eric Bogosian (1+1 Off-B'way transfer to The SoHo Playhouse), John Patrick Shanley, Craig Lucas, Paul Schrader, Beth Henley, Neil Labute, Halley Feiffer, "Lemony Snicket", the Estate of Sam Shepard and more. With the Estate of Edward Albee he was instrumental in developing FROM A TO ZOO: A STAGED READING SERIES OF ALL OF EDWARD ALBEE'S PLAYS.

When he's not creating, Michael is probably logging movies on Letterboxd, reading Dostoyevsky, or planning a wedding (!!) with his fiance/partner in love and art, Danielle MacMath.