Michael Beck (born John Michael Beck Taylor on February 4, 1949) is an American actor.

Beck was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the third of nine children. He attended Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, on a football scholarship. While in college he was initiated into Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. After graduating with a degree in Economics, he was one of 30 (out of 2,500) applicants chosen for London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Michael's stage credits, beginning with college, include: Romeo & Juliet (he was Tybalt); Camelot (he was King Arthur); and Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. Besides acting, his hobbies include reading, music and cooking.

Michael is known predominantly for his roles as "Swan" in the action film The Warriors (1979), "Sonny Malone" in Xanadu (1980), and as "Lieutenant-Commander Dallas" in Megaforce (1982). (The Megaforce role garnered him a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actor.) Beck also appeared in other movies such as Warlords of the 21st Century, The Last Ninja (film), The Golden Seal (as an evil poacher), and Wes Craven's Chiller (as a cryogenically-frozen sociopath). He gave a brilliant performance in Wes Craven's Chiller . He starred in a short-lived television series, Houston Knights (1987), in the role of "Sgt. Levon Lundy." More recently, he starred in television shows JAG, Walker Texas Ranger in a Difficult Peace, and as the Mars-born Terrorist-turned cyborg assassin Abel Horn in the science fiction TV series Babylon 5 episode A Spider In The Web.

Michael has narrated numerous audiobooks of John Grisham's novels. He has also narrated Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz; A Darkness More Than Light by Michael Connelly; State of the Union by David Callahan; and the unabridged version of Bill Clinton's My Life. He also lent his voice to the popular video game adaptation of The Warriors (2005).

Beck lives in California with his songwriter-wife Cari (they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in September 2005), and with their two children: daughter Ashley and son Jesse. According to Michael, neither of his kids acts or plays football.

Played quarterback for his college football team.

Is originally from a tiny Delta city in eastern Arkansas surrounded by cotton fields - a small school powerhouse in football and basketball.

Won a "Razzie" Award for "Worst Supporting Actor" due to his movie Megaforce (1982).

His hobbies include reading, music and cooking.

His stage credits, beginning with college, include: "Romeo & Juliet" (he was Tybalt); "Camelot" (he was King Arthur); and "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof.".

His wife Cari is a songwriter. They have two children: son, Jesse; daughter, Ashley.

The third of nine children, he has four brothers and four sisters.

Was one of 30 (out of 2,500) applicants chosen for London's Central School of Speech and Drama, following his college graduation.

Went to Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, on a football scholarship. Graduated with a degree in Economics.