Mike Amigorena
Encyclopedia
Mike Amigorena is an actor and Argentine television personality.
, Mendoza Province
, to a Basque Argentine father and an Italian Argentine
mother in 1972. Amigorena was especially restless as an adolescent and was expelled from a number of secondary schools. He left Maipú for Buenos Aires
in search of fame in 1992, and initially struggled in a variety of menial jobs, living hand-to-mouth in a tenement for a number of years. He was eventually discovered by a modeling agency
and in 1992, was given a small role in leading local comic Guillermo Francella
's sitcom, La familia Benvenuto. He later appeared in the popular teen drama
, Montaña rusa ("Rollercoaster"), and in the mid-1990s, enrolled in a theatre school, mentored first by Santiago Doria, and later, Alfredo Zemma, of the Argentine Actors' Association. He first appeared in Buenos Aires' vibrant theatre scene in 1995 and became a prolific stage actor, notably in a 1998 local production of German
playwright Frank Wedekind
's Spring Awakening, and in a compressed Shakespeare production from 2004 to 2006, which earned him Argentine ACE and Clarín
Awards.
He was given his first film role by directors Florencia Di Baja and Germán Drexler, as the leading man in their comedy, Tus ojos brillaban (Bright Eyes), in 2004, and was reunited with Francella in 2005 in his top-rated sitcom, Casados con hijos ("Married with Children"). Two comedy film roles, in Gabriel Condrón's Un peso, un dólar (2006) and as the lead in Tatiana Merenuk's romantic comedy
, Yo soy sola (I'm Alone, 2008), were followed by his role as Martín Pells in the primetime Telefe
sitcom, Los exitosos Pells
, which premiered in May 2008 and for which he received a Martín Fierro Award
.
Amigorena was among the Argentine actors asked to appear in Francis Ford Coppola
's production set in Buenos Aires, Tetro
(2009), and is the lead vocalist in his indie rock
band, Ambulancia.
Life and work
He was born Ricardo Luis Amigorena in MaipúMaipú, Mendoza
Maipú is a city in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the capital of the Maipú Department. It is located a short distance from the provincial capital, Mendoza....
, Mendoza Province
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
, to a Basque Argentine father and an Italian Argentine
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
mother in 1972. Amigorena was especially restless as an adolescent and was expelled from a number of secondary schools. He left Maipú for Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in search of fame in 1992, and initially struggled in a variety of menial jobs, living hand-to-mouth in a tenement for a number of years. He was eventually discovered by a modeling agency
Modeling agency
A modeling agency is a company that represents fashion models, to work for the fashion industry. These agencies earn their income via commission, usually from the deal they make with the model and or the head agency....
and in 1992, was given a small role in leading local comic Guillermo Francella
Guillermo Francella
Guillermo Francella is an Argentine actor and comedian. Apart from being a television performer, he also has had a long theatrical and film career.-Life and work:...
's sitcom, La familia Benvenuto. He later appeared in the popular teen drama
Teen drama
A teen drama is a dramatic television series with a major focus on teenage characters. The genre was relatively non-existent for the first 45 years of television; it came into prominence in the early 1990s...
, Montaña rusa ("Rollercoaster"), and in the mid-1990s, enrolled in a theatre school, mentored first by Santiago Doria, and later, Alfredo Zemma, of the Argentine Actors' Association. He first appeared in Buenos Aires' vibrant theatre scene in 1995 and became a prolific stage actor, notably in a 1998 local production of German
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
playwright Frank Wedekind
Frank Wedekind
Benjamin Franklin Wedekind , usually known as Frank Wedekind, was a German playwright...
's Spring Awakening, and in a compressed Shakespeare production from 2004 to 2006, which earned him Argentine ACE and Clarín
Clarín (newspaper)
Clarín is the largest newspaper in Argentina, published by the Grupo Clarín media group. It was founded by Roberto Noble on 28 August 1945. It is politically centrist but popularly understood to oppose the Kirchner government...
Awards.
He was given his first film role by directors Florencia Di Baja and Germán Drexler, as the leading man in their comedy, Tus ojos brillaban (Bright Eyes), in 2004, and was reunited with Francella in 2005 in his top-rated sitcom, Casados con hijos ("Married with Children"). Two comedy film roles, in Gabriel Condrón's Un peso, un dólar (2006) and as the lead in Tatiana Merenuk's romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
, Yo soy sola (I'm Alone, 2008), were followed by his role as Martín Pells in the primetime Telefe
Telefe
Televisión Federal S.A., best known as Telefe and later as TLF, is an Argentine television network. Formerly known as Canal Once , a state-run network, it was privatised and established as Telefe in 1989, when and News Corporation took over the channel...
sitcom, Los exitosos Pells
Los exitosos Pells
Los exitosos Pells was a 2008-2009 Argentine telenovela, produced by Underground Producciones and Endemol, and aired by Telefe. It started being aired on November 5, 2008, replacing Vidas Robadas at 10:30PM...
, which premiered in May 2008 and for which he received a Martín Fierro Award
Martín Fierro Awards
Martín Fierro is the name of the most prominent awards for Argentine radio and television, granted by APTRA, the Association of Argentine Television and Radio Journalists. The awards were first given in 1959, limited to television. The next year, the awards adopted its current name, after José...
.
Amigorena was among the Argentine actors asked to appear in Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
's production set in Buenos Aires, Tetro
Tetro
Tetro is a 2009 drama film written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Vincent Gallo, Alden Ehrenreich and Maribel Verdú. Filming took place in 2008 in Buenos Aires, Patagonia, and Spain...
(2009), and is the lead vocalist in his indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band, Ambulancia.