Mike Wurst

Following in the footsteps of his comedic heroes John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, Chicago born and bred actor, Mike Wurst attended the Players Workshop during the Golden Era of Second City, in the early 1980's, with classmates and contemporaries Dan Castellenetta and Charna Halpern, where he studied under Josephine Forsberg. After graduation Wurst moved on to study with The Compass co-founder, Paul Sills, considered the "Godfather" of modern improv. Not wasting a minute while awaiting his never self-doubted inevitable break, Wurst honed his theatrical chops, working in small improv troupes, stock theater and traveling children's theater companies such as The Robinhood Players. Ever the romantic, the sensitive Wurst then betrayed his hardboiled, tough external shell, at the request of his future wife, and, for love, postponed his promising acting career, to become an Air Traffic Controller for the Federal Aviation Administration. For the next 25 years, Wurst served keeping the skies friendly for the American public, over some of the busiest airports in the United States; provided a loving, stable home, for Jody, his wife of over 30 years and their two children; older son Matthew, and younger son, up and coming actor, UCB and Groundling student, Jason Wurst, and occasionally acted in local church or community theater projects or as a background player in major films shot in Las Vegas, during that time. In 2008, with Jody's blessing, Wurst retired from the FAA and turned his attention to getting his promising acting career back on track. He has since worked on and starred in numerous commercial, Indie and Major films, voice over and network television projects.