Anton Baklanov

Jack 'Jackie' Dillon

Zvi Aharoni

Chovka

Schlatko

Dr. Nima Rousseau

Isaac Katkov

Minas

Mafioso

Nearly unrecognizable in his portrayals, Michael Aronov is a Tony Award winning actor that has made a name for himself by pushing the boundaries on stage and screen. In film he is known for his role as Chovka, the Chechen warlord and head gangster opposite Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini in the Twentieth Century Fox feature The Drop (2014). In complete contrast, the actor also spent three seasons on the award winning FX series The Americans (2013), playing a physicist that is torn from his family and exiled as a political prisoner. Another indelible TV role was the fast-talking, lovable hustler, Smokey Putnum on NBC's The Blacklist (2013). Subsequently Aronov played lead undercover cop, Jackie Dillon in the HBO-Cinemax series Jett (2019). The actor also went head-to-head with Sir Ben Kingsley, portraying a real life Nazi hunter in "Operation Finale" (MGM). He played Rahm Emanuel in the Showtime mini-series "The First Lady", opposite Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, and was last seen starring as Dr. Nima Rousseau, the chemist responsible for the freeze in the final season of "Snowpiercer".

For his Theatre work, Aronov has won the Tony Award, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Obie Award, and the Elliot Norton Award. The actor has also been nominated for the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the IRNE Award. He originated the roles of Uri Savir in the Tony Award winning production of "Oslo" on Broadway; Paul in Lyle Kessler's "First Born" at The Actors Studio; and Dennis in Theresa Rebeck's "Mauritius". Other Theatre highlights include: the Tony-nominated revival of "Golden Boy" on Broadway; the American premiere of "Blood and Gifts" at Lincoln Center; New York productions of his solo-shows "Seaguts" and "Manigma"; Stanley Kowalski in the classic "A Streetcar Named Desire" (Europe); Jean in "Miss Julie" at the Cherry Lane Theatre; Dionysus in "The Bacchae 2.1"; and Edgar in an award winning production of "King Lear".

See photos of celebrities before they hit the big-time.

Before They Were Famous: Actors' Early Roles

#	Name	Score	Year	Known	★	Wins	Noms	Votes
1	The Americans	100.00	2013	•	8.4	4	18	123602
2	Jett	4.88	2019	•	7.4	0	0	6951
3	Operation Finale	2.50	2018	•	6.6	0	0	54150
4	The Drop	2.50	2014	•	7.0	0	0	169967
5	Hedwig and the Angry Inch	2.00	2001		7.7	0	0	39142
6	Snowpiercer	1.00	2020		6.9	0	1	74754
7	Hit & Run	1.00	2021		7.0	0	0	12100
8	Crisis	1.00	2021		6.2	0	0	15284
9	Cold Souls	1.00	2010		6.4	0	0	10606

Michael Aronov

Actor

Self

Credit Score: Michael Aronov