Newcomer Alert: ATWT's Michael E. Rodgers

Michael E. Rodgers is playing Mike's boss, Neal, on AS THE WORLD TURNS. I believe Neal is supposed to be a short-term character, but I wouldn't mind seeing him stick around. Rodgers is from Whitburn, a town in the West Lothian region of Scotland, which looks to be near Edinburgh. A straight-A student, he horrified staff at St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn by leaving immediately after his O-levels. He quit school and left home for Edinburgh at the age of 16. When a place at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama fell through due to the lack of a grant, he decided to go it alone and try to make it as an actor anyway. He began his career at a very young age in Scotland. After many years in the theatre, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career in film. Rodgers received his BA from the Glasgow School of Art & Drama. Michael’s big break came when he moved to the US in the late 1980s and began acting. He was spotted while he was performing a stage play and was asked to appear in a film called Gia, alongside Angelina Jolie. After years learning his craft in less high-profile roles, his portrayal of a murdering heroin addict on NYPD BLUE brought Michael to the attention of casting directors. He admits his busy schedule in Hollywood means there’s little chance of him returning to West Lothian full time. "My brother lives in Edinburgh and that would be a great place to have a base, but I would have to start again in getting myself known to people in the industry in this country. I’ve spent half of my life living in LA now, and, although I would like a house in Scotland, I have no plans to move home at the moment." Here's an interview from his days on Sci-Fi's THE TRIANGLE.