Jemar Michael

Jemar Michael is an American actor from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Growing up in Saint Paul, MN in the early 90s, Jemar's interest in performing was sparked unexpectedly by a performance at the renowned circus arts school, Circus Juventas. It was then Jemar knew he wanted to be a performer or more specifically, an acrobat. Foregoing traditional sports, Jemar grew up studying circus arts which landed him his first acting role: Poseidon in a show called Atlanticus. His love for acting solidified by 8th grade ( thanks to Michael Peña's performance in Crash), Jemar went to enroll in the renowned Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, where he juggled both his creative studies and a professional acting career. Jemar went on to attend California Institute of the Arts for acting before returning to his hometown where he booked his first indie film. The Sundance favorite starring Tessa Thompson, Dear White People catapulted Jemar to Hollywood where he transitioned from recurring guest star to series regular in Dear White People: The Series on Netflix. Between seasons of Dear White People, Jemar starred in the web series The Chadwick Journals: Oren on Amazon which earned him a Telly Award. In the aftermath of Dear White People and his sudden entry into the public eye, Jemar stepped away from Hollywood to focus on his mental health, self reflect and grieve - a version of himself he thought he should be, a version of his passion that made him feel betrayed, and an idea of how he thought his career would go. He found healing in therapy, and true to form, art. It was a call for actors for Unarmed Mobile Crisis Response Training, a program by Exodus Recovery, that brought Jemar back to acting. Lending his gifts in service of a bigger picture not only reignited Jemar's love of the work, but awakened in him a deep sense of purpose. In the midst of grief, Jemar discovered a profound new relationship with performing that feels authentically his own and life long. Jemar is represented by Venture Entertainment Partners.