| | Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman)Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth | Age: 43 years old (December 14, 1967) | | Gender: Male |
Michael Bluth (born December 14, 1967) is the second oldest Bluth son, and the father of George Michael Bluth. In season 3, it is revealed that there is a typo on his birth certificate, which reads Nichael Bluth. Michael's wife Tracey died of ovarian cancer two years prior to the first season. Possibly as a result of this, he is very close to and slightly over-protective of his son, George Michael which is shown partly because of his many attempts to hang out alone with his son and his secret dislike of anyone George Michael falls for, such as Ann Veal. His role in the story is that he is the one son who has no choice but to keep the family together, and he serves as the straight man in the comedy series. When his father George Sr. goes to jail, Michael becomes head of the family and CEO and president of the Bluth Company. His authority, however, is constantly undermined by his family. Often, when agreeing to something before thinking (trying to be "a good guy"), he mouths behind the person's back, "What's wrong with me?" (e.g., with Maggie Lizer). He remained the president throughout season 1, but was replaced by Gob in season 2. As vice president, Michael was the Bluth Company's de facto head, doing all the work of the president while being scrutinized by the SEC for his father's crimes. In season 3, Michael was firmly in charge again, though the sibling rivalry and family interference did not completely recede. He escapes with his son and father in tow to Cabo, leaving most of the family to fend for themselves. Michael is generally the straight man in the series. However, creator Mitch Hurwitz says that in some respects Michael is "the craziest one" in that he cannot see much of what happens around him. Michael is portrayed by actor Jason Bateman. Hurwitz did not know if Bateman was right for the part, as he seemed associated with more conventional sitcoms, but Hurwitz said that in trying out for the part, Bateman "gave this dry, confident performance." Bateman also explained his performance by saying he could be "naturally... dickish" like his character. Bateman said of his part, "it's the best job I've ever had, hands down," and it may have also been his most famous one. Bateman and his character were also well received by critic Robert Bianco, who wrote "the key to the show's success is the hilariously deadpan Bateman." Bateman won a Golden Globe for the role in 2005, and was nominated for several other awards, including an Emmy. Michael Bartel plays Michael Bluth as a young man in six episodes. Ryan Slough plays Michael in an episode. In a flashback in the series finale, Brandon Killham plays young Michael Bluth. |
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