Michael is the eldest of two daughters. Her father, Jerry, is an entrepreneur. Her mother, Theresa, is a corporate manager. In high school she played volleyball, basketball, and ran track. After high school, she moved to New York and quickly got commercial work. This led to a role in
Eddie Murphy's 1989 film
Harlem Nights (1989). But that role dissolved when she spurned his advances and she filed a sexual harassment suit against him. The suit was ultimately settled out of court. She went to work at The Gap to make ends meet. That ended in 1991, when she got her break in
New Jack City (1991) and followed with a role on
"1st & Ten." Regular TV roles followed. On the set of
ER (1994), she is
known for shooting baskets between takes.
The Equalizer(2021)as Evelyn Rodgers
Drunk, Driving, and 17(2023)as Martha Wright
Under His Influence(2023)as Casaundra
Dynasty(2017)as Dominique Deveraux
Queen Sugar(2016)as Darlene
MEN: The Dreamer(2017)
See It Loud: The History of Black Television(2023)as Self - Actress - New York Undercover, Queen Sugar
Entertainment Tonight(1981)as Self, Self - Guest Co-Host
Tamron Hall(2019)as Self
The Talk(2010)as Self
The Paley Center Presents Law & Order: Before They Were Stars(2020)as Archival
