Bio
Michael J. Willett is an American actor best known for his recurring role as Lionel in the television dramedy series United States of Tara, from 2010-2011.
As a child, Willett landed his first national commercial for Little Debbie's and catapulted him into the public spotlight. Willett has since starred opposite Mary Steenbergen and Amber Tamblyn in Joan of Arcadia, Poppy Montgomery in Without a Trace, and had a memorable turn co-starring with Denise Richards in Blue Mountain State.
Willett has also managed to stay true to his theatre roots by originating roles in the LA Drama Critics awarded Production of the Year Life Could Be a Dream, the YouTube hit The Green Room, and the world premiere of Summer of Love, for which his performance earned an LA Stage Scene Award.
It was Willett's role of Lionel in United States of Tara that truly launched his career into high gear. Originally cast for only two episodes, the creators and writers of the show, including Diablo Cody and Steven Spielberg, were instantly hooked by his instinctive sense of comic timing.
Playing opposite Kier Gilchrist and directed by the likes of Penny Marshall, Willett's portrayal of the snarky and outspoken gay advocate became the springboard for Gilchrist's Marshall to come out of the closet. It also created a fan base of international proportions, and led to a very successful two seasons with the series.
In 2013, Willett's career continued to grow. He lead an all-star cast in Darren Stein's feature film G.B.F which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York last April.
In 2014 he began a starring role as Liam Booker, Shane's best friend who is a mysterious and sexy artist and secretly involved with Karma, in the romantic comedy television series Faking It.