Michael Cimino (actor)

Michael Cimino
Cimino in 2021
Born (1999-11-10) November 10, 1999 (age 24)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.[1]
OccupationActor
Years active2015–present

Michael Cimino (/sɪˈmn/ sim-EE-noh;[2] born November 10, 1999) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Victor Salazar in the Hulu television series Love, Victor and as Bob Palmeri in Annabelle Comes Home. Since 2022, he has voiced Kevin Grant-Gomez from the Disney Channel animated series Hamster & Gretel. [3] On November 10, 2022, he released his debut EP, I'm Somewhere Out There.[4]

Early life

Cimino was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. His father is of Italian-German ancestry and his mother is of Puerto Rican descent.[5][6] Cimino faced racism through elementary school, saying children would throw him on the floor and kick him, and claim he ate bugs, though he says those experiences made him more compassionate towards others.[7] He took up acting at eight years old after joining an acting group taught by a fellow church member.[8] Cimino graduated from high school early to get into acting more seriously and decided not to attend college.[9]

Career

Cimino's early acting credits include a GEICO commercial and a 2016 pilot for the Nickelodeon show Hopefuls.[10] He moved to Los Angeles when he was 18 years old.[11] Cimino appeared in the 2019 horror film Annabelle Comes Home, playing the role of Bob Palmeri. He enjoys singing and playing guitar and had his song "Everything I Own" included on the film's soundtrack.[12]

In August 2019, it was announced Cimino would star in the leading role as Victor in the Disney+ series Love, Victor.[13] The show was later moved to Hulu, where it premiered in June 2020.[14][15] Cimino consulted with his gay cousin to ensure the role of Victor would be a relatable and believable character.[16]

In 2020, Cimino joined the voice cast for Black Box, a scripted science fiction podcast series.[17]

On June 15, 2021, Cimino released his first single "Love Addict".[18] He first previewed this song on the June 3, 2021, episode of Good Morning America.[19]

In May 2022, Cimino joined the cast of thriller podcast series Jane Anonymous, based on the novel of the same name by Laurie Faria Stolarz.[20]

Cimino provides the voice of Kevin in the Disney Channel animated series Hamster & Gretel. He stars as Ethan in the final season of Never Have I Ever, which was released on June 8, 2023.[21]

In June 2024 it was announced that he would star in the Until Dawn, a film adaptation of the video game.[22] Cimino starred in Girl Haunts Boy, a fantasy romance film released on Netflix in October 2024.[23]

Personal life

Cimino identifies as straight. However, he said of his sexuality, "I don't want to put myself in a box and put myself in a position where if I were to come out as bi or as gay 10 years from now, that I was defending an identity that was being true to myself."[24]

Filmography

Film

Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
2015 Limitless Potential Bob Short film[25]
2016 Shangri-La Suite Young Teijo
2018 Dog Days Dej Short film[25]
2019 Annabelle Comes Home Bob Palmeri
2019 No Child Left Behind Brian
2022 Senior Year Lance Harrison [26]
2023 Centurion: The Dancing Stallion Miguel
2024 Girl Haunts Boy Cole [27]
2025 Until Dawn TBA Post-production

Television

Key
Denotes series that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Hopefuls Lorenzo Pilot[10]
2016 Slammed Kyle Mayo TV film
2017 Training Day Young Sadiq Episode: "Tunnel Vision"
2018 Walk the Prank Brlayden Episode: "Too Cool for High School"
2020–2022 Love, Victor Victor Salazar Main role[28]
2022–present Hamster & Gretel Kevin Grant-Gomez (voice) Main role
2022 Disney Theme Song Takeover Kevin Grant-Gomez (voice) Episode: "Kevin Theme Song Takeover"
2023 Chibiverse Kevin Grant-Gomez (voice) Episode: "The Chibi Quiz Challenge"
2023–present Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Eduardo (voice) Recurring role[29][30]
2023 How I Met Your Father Swish Recurring role (season 2)
2023 Never Have I Ever Ethan Recurring role (season 4)
TBA Motorheads Zac Filming[31]

Discography

Cimino is also a musician and has released several singles under the Cimino Sings label. He released his debut extended play on November 10, 2022.[32]

Extended play

Title Release Date
I'm Somewhere Out There November 10, 2022[32]

Singles

Title Release Date
"Love Addict" June 15, 2021[33]
"Little Blue Car" July 15, 2021[32]
"Cigarettes and Incense" August 15, 2021
"The Love Was Real" May 20, 2022
"Make Me Wanna Dance" June 24, 2022
"Stole Me" July 29, 2022

Singles with Finn Matthews

Title Release Date
"Stay The Night" September 15, 2021

Soundtracks

Title Album Release date
"How You Feel About Me" Hamster & Gretel August 12, 2022
"Overload the Grid"
"I Can Be Bad"

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2021 Gold Derby Television Awards Comedy Actor Love, Victor Nominated [34]
Imagen Awards Best Lead Actor – Comedy Love, Victor Won [35]
2022 Imagen Awards Best Actor – Comedy (Television) Love, Victor Won [36]

References

  1. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (June 16, 2020). "'Love, Victor' Star Michael Cimino on the Importance of Connection During Social Distancing". variety.com. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  2. ^ Rapid Fire Questions: Michael Cimino and George Sear | Love, Victor | Hulu. Hulu. June 30, 2020. Event occurs at 00:02. Retrieved July 18, 2024 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ "'Love, Victor' star Michael Cimino on why he feels 'really honored' to play Victor". Good Morning America. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "Michael Cimino on Instagram: "Thank you guys for waiting SO patiently 🥹 MY FIRST EP "i'm somewhere out there" AND MY MUSIC VIDEO COME OUT TOMORROW!!!! I've been saving this for a long ass time and I'm so excited for you guys to finally hear it ❤️ I love y'all! Don't forget to pre-save! Link is in my bio!"". Instagram. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "In 'Love, Victor' an LGBTQ Latino teen in a religious family carves his own path". NBC News.
  6. ^ Romack, Coco. "How Love, Victor Helped Michael Cimino Find His Political Voice". MTV News. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020.
  7. ^ Dry, Jude (July 6, 2020). "Why 'Love, Victor' Star Michael Cimino Took a Gay Role Against Industry Advice". IndieWire. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  8. ^ Sarner, Lauren (June 24, 2020). "'Love, Victor' star Michael Cimino wants to bridge gap between parents and kids". New York Post. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  9. ^ "'Love, Victor' Star Michael Cimino's No. 1 Piece of Advice for Hollywood Newcomers". www.backstage.com. July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Sorren, Martha (June 18, 2020). "Who Plays Victor On 'Love, Victor'? Michael Cimino Has Some Real Musical Skills". Bustle. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  11. ^ Smith, Paul Art (July 1, 2020). "'Love, Victor' Star Michael Cimino's No. 1 Piece of Advice for Hollywood Newcomers". www.backstage.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  12. ^ Freedman, Adrianna (June 18, 2020). "Michael Cimino Was a Horror Movie Star Before 'Love, Victor'". Men's Health. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (August 15, 2019). "'Love, Simon': Michael Cimino Leads Cast Of Disney+ Series". Deadline. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  14. ^ Lowry, Brian (June 17, 2020). "'Love, Victor' adds new chapter to the coming-out tale in 'Love, Simon'". CNN. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  15. ^ Otterson, Joe (February 24, 2020). "'Love, Simon' Series Moves from Disney Plus to Hulu". Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  16. ^ "Michael Cimino Says He Consulted His Gay Cousin About Love, Victor Role: 'It Was Very Special'". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  17. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 29, 2020). "Joel McHale, Michael Cimino, Brec Bassinger, Chosen Jacobs & Jacob Bertrand Lead Sci-Fi Podcast Black Box". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  18. ^ "'Love, Victor' Star Michael Cimino Releases Debut Single "Love Addict"". Nerds and Beyond. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  19. ^ America, Good Morning. "Michael Cimino on what to expect in season 2 of 'Love, Victor'". Good Morning America. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  20. ^ Grobar, Matt (May 26, 2022). "Lost In Space Star Mina Sundwall, Love, Victor'' Michael Cimino To Lead Fictionz Podcast Series Jane Anonymous". Deadline. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  21. ^ Kaplan, Rebecca (September 26, 2022). "Love, Victor's Michael Cimino Joins Never Have I Ever in Season 4 Teaser". MovieWeb. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  22. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 14, 2024). "'Until Dawn' Movie At Screen Gems And PlayStation Studios Sets Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo And Odessa A'zion To Star". Deadline. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  23. ^ Johnson, Rachel (October 15, 2024). "Netflix's Supernatural Fantasy Movie Released Just in Time for Halloween". MovieWeb. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  24. ^ "In 'Love, Victor' an LGBTQ Latino teen in a religious family carves his own path". NBC News. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  25. ^ a b Raphael, Shannon (June 15, 2020). "Who Is Michael Cimino From 'Love, Victor'? Actor Reveals Why He Was Drawn to the Role". Distractify. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  26. ^ Jackson, Angelique (July 16, 2021). "Jade Bender, Michael Cimino, Jeremy Ray Taylor and Avantika Join Paramount Players' 'Senior Year'(EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  27. ^ George, Crystal (September 14, 2024). "Girl Haunts Boy starring Peyton List and Michael Cimino coming to Netflix in October". IMDB. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Fuentes, Tamara (June 17, 2020). "Meet the Cast of "Love, Victor" and Their Characters". seventeen. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  29. ^ "Moon Girl Landing". Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  30. ^ @DisneyBrandTVPR (July 21, 2022). "Recurring stars: @AbtahiOmid, @UTKtheINC, @_michaelcimino_, #CraigRobinson and #IndyaMoore" (Tweet). Retrieved July 22, 2022 – via Twitter.
  31. ^ Kimathi, Denis (March 20, 2024). "Ryan Phillippe Shares Set Image From Motorheads as Cameras Begin Rolling". Collider. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  32. ^ a b c Bagchi, Apeksha (June 8, 2023). "Who plays Ethan in 'Never Have I Ever' season 4 and where have I seen him before?". We Got This Covered. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  33. ^ "Watch: Michael Cimino teases 'Love, Victor' Season 2, new song on 'GMA' - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  34. ^ "2021 Gold Derby TV Awards winners list and announcement video". August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  35. ^ Schneider, Michael (October 11, 2021). "Pose, Love, Victor, Ya No Estoy Aquí Among Top 2021 Imagen Awards Winners (Full List)". Variety. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  36. ^ Tinoco, Armando (October 3, 2022). "Imagen Awards Winners List: 'Love, Victor', 'Encanto', Eugenio Derbez, 'Selena: The Series' Among Honorees". Deadline. Retrieved November 8, 2022.