Birth Name: Michael Don Bergin
Birthdate: March
19, 1969
Birth Place: Waterbury, Connecticut
Current Residence: Commutes between
New York & Los Angeles
Marital Status: Single, but is engaged to Jo
Hair/Eyes:
Dark Brown/Hazel
Height/weight: 6 Feet, 1½ inches tall/190 pounds
Heritage: American
with Irish/Italian descent
Education: College/University of Connecticut/Degree in Business Marketing
Parents: Father, a retired state police officer/Mother, a hairdresser
Children:
2; 1 son, Jesse Makoa (born in 1999), 1 daughter, Alana Jade (Born in 2004)
Siblings:
3; 1 brother (2 years older)/2 sisters (1 is a year older and the other is 9 years younger).
Show business start: Answered an ad for Models on the advice of a friend
Hobbies/Interests:
Collecting and refinishing antique furniture, Music, Sports and Roller blading, Working out
Michael Bergin was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and grew up in the small town
of Naugatuck, Connecticut. He was an athletic child and during his high school years served as Captain of the basketball
team and played baseball for 4 years.
He attended the University of Connecticut. To support himself during his college
years he worked as a waiter and at odd jobs for minimum wage. During his sophomore year, a friend told him that he should
seriously consider modeling. She said that he could earn up to $1000 a day modeling in New York. Since he was struggling
financially, he finally considered the career move. He signed on with the Click Modeling Agency. The money earned
greatly eased his financial burden.
Keeping himself in exceptional physical shape, Michael was very muscular. He
actually had to lose some of the bulk in order to fit into the designer clothing. After his junior year, modeling assignments
kept growing, making the commute to New York more frequent. Michael spent his summers working full-time. In the
fall, he returned to the University of Connecticut to finish his senior year. Michael graduated with a degree in business
marketing. He then made New York his permanent home and pursued modeling full-time.
During his modeling career, Michael traveled around the world, walking the runways
of New York, Paris and Milan for such designers as Sonia Rykiel, Valentino, Calvin Klein, Gianfranco Ferre, Giorgio Armani,
Yves Saint-Laurent and Donna Karan.
His credits for TV commercials and printed advertisements include Kellogg's, Bacardi
Rum, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Coty, Perry Ellis, and Liz Claiborne. He moved back to New York a month later.
Michael replaced Marky Mark as the new Calvin Klein underwear model. Michael
also appeared in solo ads and with Kate Moss in underwear, jeans and suit layouts. His ads for Calvin Klein left him
without assignments for more than six months. No agency was interested in a model who had modeled for Calvin Klein.
He made a decision to move toward acting. It proved to be a good choice, as his work for TV as a correspondent includes
E! Entertainment Television, VH1, and Entertainment Tonight. His acting credits included a recurring
role on the soap Central Park West and The Proprietor (a Merchant Ivory film).
He was sent out to read for a part on Baywatch. The move toward acting
paid off here, as he landed the role of Jack "J.D." Darius. During his first season with Baywatch,
he has appeared on the sitcom Cosby/CBS as a good looking, but extremely clumsy waiter and as a guest on The
Rosie O'Donald Show/NBC. Michael has also appeared on the talk show VIBE. He appeared in the 1998
June issue of US magazine and had his own work out show off the Jersey Shore called The Daily Burn, which
was on three times a week. Michael did hip-hop aerobics. The show resulted in a video.
The exposure has helped him make the transition toward movies in 2000. His work
included Closing the Deal, Starforce and The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy. He has
two children; one son, Jesse Makoa, who was born in 1999 and a daughter born in 2004. the actor is currently engaged
to Jo.
Michael returned for the reunion movie, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding, which aired
February 2003.
His most current project is his book, "The Other Man: A Love Story" (Regan Books), where
he related his relationship with John F. Kennedy's Jr.'s wife Carolyn Bessette. It sparked a lot of heat in defense of
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. He also has designed a new line of underwear called, "Bergies" for men
in the works.
