Michael Anthony (actor)

American actor and musician

Michael Anthony

Born|

Michael Gould, Jr.

Akron, Ohio

Nationality| American
Occupations|

* Actor
* Singer-songwriter

Michael Anthony, (born Michael Gould, Jr.) also known by the stage name Mike Bless,[1] is an American actor, singer-songwriter, and former serviceman in the United States Air Force.[2] He is known for appearing in TV series such as Raising Dion,[2] Chicago Med,[2] Big 50 – The Delronda Hood Story, and Ready to Love.[3]

## Early life

[edit]

Anthony was born in Akron, Ohio and was raised in Akron and Buffalo, New York.[4] He eventually joined the military,[5] achieving a rank of E-4/SRA in the U.S. Air Force.[2] He was in U.S. Air Force Security Forces during Operation Enduring Freedom.[2]

## Career

[edit]

In 2008, Anthony entered Slip-n-Slide Records' "The Next Big Superstar" competition. He won the competition and was signed to a record deal under the stage name Mike Bless.[6][7] As Mike Bless, he released the singles "Do It Like This" in 2009[8] and "Gone" in 2011.[9] He also released a mixtape titled Mr. Make It Happen in 2009.

Anthony began acting after doing production work on a film soundtrack. After meeting him, the film's director suggested him to audition for a role in the movie, which he was then cast in.[2]

Anthony was one of the contestants in the first season of OWN's reality television series Ready to Love, which premiered in 2018.[10][11][12]

In 2020, Anthony guest-starred in the Netflix series Kings of Jo'burg, which was created and produced by Shona Ferguson.[13][14] Anthony was also cast in a lead role in the short film She Had to Ask, which premiered on Allblk in the same year.[15]

Anthony was cast as Ricky in the BET+ original film Big 50 – The Delronda Hood Story, which premiered in 2021.[16][17][18][19] Anthony was also cast in a recurring role as Gary Stafford in Raising Dion.[20][21]

Other television series that Anthony has appeared in include Chicago Med, Greenleaf, Dynasty, MacGyver, Black Lightning, and The Outsider.[2][22]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Film

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2018  | Trunk | Mr. Bleep  | Short
2019  | Cold Feet at Christmas | 1st Wedding Hall Guest  | TV movie
Dear Santa, I Need a Date | Fred  | TV movie
2020  | False Advertisement | Mike  |
She Had to Ask | Graham  | Short
2021  | Lust: A Seven Deadly Sins Story | Magic  | TV movie
Big 50 – The Delronda Hood Story | Ricky  |
Dating Hell | Josh  |
2022  | MAMILs | Gerald  | Short
Secret Headquarters | Wisconsin  | [23]
End of the Road | Jake  |
The Sound of Christmas | Rio  |
Strange Love | Chip  |
Grief | \-  | Short

### Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2010  | Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight | Robin Wood (voice)  | Episode: "No Future for You: Part 1"
2019  | Greenleaf | Prison Guard  | Episode: "Did I Lose You?"
Bluff City Law | FCI Guard  | Episode: "Pilot"
Black Lightning | Stone Killer  | Episode: "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two: Maryam's Tasbih"
Tell Me a Story | Malcolm  | Episode: "Number One Fan"
2020  | The Outsider | Inmate  | Episode: "Fish in a Barrel"
Dynasty | Duane  | Episode: "Battle Lines"
MacGyver | Suit #1  | Episode: "Father + Son + Father + Matriarch"
American Soul | Carl  | Episode: "Lovely Day" & "So Long, Sucker"
Chicago Med | Officer Simmons  | Episode: "Those Things Hidden in Plain Sight"
Kings of Jo'burg | Magic  | Episode: "We Are Brothers" & "The Sacrifice"
2021  | Covenant | Malcolm Fuller  | Episode: "The Promise - Part 1 & 2"
2021-22  | The Game | DeMarco Brown  | Recurring cast: season 1
2022  | Raising Dion | Gary Stafford  | Recurring cast: season 2
Power Book IV: Force | Tank  | Episode: "King of the Goddamn Hill"
Saints & Sinners | Ray Ray  | Recurring cast: season 6
2023  | Tomorrow's Monsters | Army Medic  | Episode: "Introducing: Bridgewater Season 2"
The Walking Dead: Dead City | Luther  | Guest role: season 1

## Discography

[edit]

Singles
Title | Year | Album

|
|

"Do It Like This" | 2009 | Non-album single
"Gone" | 2011 | Non-album single

Mixtapes
Title | Released | Label | Format

|
|
|

Mr. Make It Happen (Vol. 1) | 3 Dec 2009 | Slip-n-Slide Records | Streaming

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mike Bless applauds Connie Ferguson's strength at the gym". Justnje.com. February 2, 2020.
2. ^ a b c d e f g "[Interview] 8 Questions With "Big Fifty" Actor Michael Anthony". Btscelebs.com. October 7, 2021.
3. ^ ""Ready To Love" star Mike Anthony is teaching men to keep it real while dating. ( And he's still going strong with Shea.)". TheGrio.com. January 13, 2019.
4. ^ "Mikeblessmusic". OurStage.com.
5. ^ "Ready To Love: season 1/ Episode 2 "First Dates" – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)". Wherever-i-look.com. 28 October 2018.
6. ^ "Mike Bless: Nicki Minaj Is Among "the Greatest Rappers of Our Time"". Nbcmiami.com. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
7. ^ "Slip-N-Slide CEO Not Surprised Rick Ross Tops Chart". Billboard. 29 April 2009.
8. ^ McLeod, Raina. "MP3 of the Day: "Do It Like This" From Slip 'N' Slide's Newest Artist, Mike Bless". Miami New Times.
9. ^ "Mike bless". Tidal.com. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
10. ^ "Michael Anthony of 'Ready to Love' gets real about dating". Rollingout.com. January 11, 2019.
11. ^ "Ready to Love Update: Mike – season 1". Oprah.com.
12. ^ "Will Mike and Shea be able to break the reality show relationship curse?". Rollingout.com. December 30, 2018.
13. ^ Malatse, Lebo (December 23, 2020). "'Kings of Jo'Burg,' Season 1 Episode 5: "We Are Brothers" — RECAP". Blackgirlnerds.com.
14. ^ "Shona Ferguson shares more visuals from upcoming series, Kings Of Jo'burg". Justnje.com. January 28, 2020.
15. ^ "She Had to Ask". Allblk.tv.
16. ^ "(Watch) Big Fifty x Cast Share Priceless On Set Stories". Rightondigital.com. September 29, 2021.
17. ^ Grant, Shawn (September 21, 2021). "Remy Ma Stars in Lead Role as "Big Fifty" in Trailer of BET+ Original Film". The Source.
18. ^ Wanjiru, Ellen J. (2021-09-20). "TRAILER: 'REMY MA' Makes Acting Debut in a Leading Role as Detroit's Legendary 'Big Fifty' in BET+ Original Film". Blackfilm.com. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
19. ^ Benoit, Kevin (October 1, 2021). "[FIRST LOOK] 'Big 50: The Delrhonda Hood Story' Starring Remy Ma". Parlemag.com.
20. ^ "Raising Dion (2019)". Watch.plex.tv. October 4, 2019.
21. ^ "'Raising Dion' Season 2: Netflix Release Date & What We Know So Far – What's on Netflix". Indianewsrepublic.in. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
22. ^ "Michael Anthony: Movies, TV, and Bio". Amazon.com.
23. ^ "Actor Michael Anthony is the right man for the role". Rollingout.com. 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2022-01-07.