Michael Moriarty

Michael Moriarty – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Discover the life and multifaceted career of Michael Moriarty—from stage to screen, his political exile, musical pursuits, and his most memorable quotes and philosophies.

Introduction

Michael Moriarty (born April 5, 1941) is an American-Canadian actor, playwright, and jazz musician whose intensity, intellectual approach, and willingness to cross borders—both artistic and geographic—have marked him as an unconventional but deeply respected figure. He is best known for playing Executive ADA Benjamin Stone on Law & Order and the SS officer Erik Dorf in the miniseries Holocaust, but his story encompasses much more: theater, music, political convictions, exile, and reinvention.

Early Life and Family

Michael Moriarty was born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 5, 1941. George Moriarty, a surgeon, and Eleanor (née Paul).

He attended Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills for middle school, then the University of Detroit Jesuit High School, graduating in 1959. Dartmouth College, majoring in theater, finishing his BA by 1963.

After Dartmouth, he earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study in London at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

These formative years show a blend of American upbringing, intellectual rigor, and classical dramatic training.

Youth, Education & Early Influences

Moriarty’s path to acting was shaped by both formal training and a certain intellectual restlessness. His decision to study theater at Dartmouth, followed by a Fulbright to LAMDA, signals a deliberate commitment to craft rather than immediate celebrity.

In London, he absorbed rigorous dramatic traditions and broadened his perspective on theater, which later informed his stage work back in the U.S. and Canada.

His early experiences also included work at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, where he honed his stage chops before fully entering the screen world.

All of this background contributed to Moriarty’s reputation as an actor with intellectual depth, capable of handling morally complex characters.

Career and Achievements

Theater and Early Screen Work (1970s)

Moriarty’s theatrical career was strong from the start. In 1973, he starred in Bang the Drum Slowly opposite Robert De Niro, playing Henry “Author” Wiggen—a role that gained critical notice.

That same year he appeared in a television adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie with Katharine Hepburn, playing Jim (the Gentleman Caller). His performance earned him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor.

In 1974, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor for Find Your Way Home, beating high-profile names in the theater world.

During this period, his work in film and television included appearances in Report to the Commissioner.

Breakthrough Roles & Recognition

Moriarty’s role as Erik Dorf, a German SS officer in the miniseries Holocaust (1978), won him both a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award.

He also appeared in numerous films across several genres: Who’ll Stop the Rain, Q: The Winged Serpent, The Stuff, Pale Rider, Troll, Courage Under Fire, Shiloh, Along Came a Spider, and more.

From 1990 to 1994, Moriarty played Benjamin Stone, Executive Assistant District Attorney on Law & Order. That role made him widely known to TV audiences.

His departure from Law & Order was contentious. Moriarty claimed he threatened to sue then-Attorney General Janet Reno over comments about violence on TV; he argued network pressure and censorship efforts influenced his exit. Producers disputed that version, citing behavioral issues.

Even after leaving Law & Order, Moriarty continued to act in film and television, and also expanded into music and writing.

Musical & Literary Pursuits

Alongside acting, Moriarty is a jazz pianist and composer. He has recorded jazz albums (although his first, Reaching Out, remained unreleased).

He performs live, often in New York and Vancouver, with jazz ensembles.

He has also written plays and compositions—his play Flight to the Fatherland and The Ballad of Dexter Creed are among his works.

Later Life & Exile

After leaving Law & Order, Moriarty relocated to Canada, calling himself a “political exile.” He lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, then Toronto, before settling in Vancouver, British Columbia. He obtained Canadian citizenship.

He has spoken openly about his past struggles with alcoholism, saying he was a “very bad drunk,” but was sober for some years by the early 2000s.

His political writings, columns, and public commentary are active, often expressing contrarian views and critiques of media and governance.

Thus, his later years are defined by artistic persistence, political independence, and a transnational identity.

Historical Context & Milestones

• Moriarty’s rise came at a time when TV miniseries (such as Holocaust) had strong cultural resonance in the 1970s, and his performance contributed to the collective memory of the Holocaust in American media.

• His time on Law & Order corresponded with the era when legal dramas were becoming staples of primetime television, helping to shape the procedural genre.

• His move to Canada and outspoken criticism of censorship and TV regulation reflect late 20th-century debates over media control, political free speech, and broadcast standards.

• The blending of his careers—actor, musician, writer, political commentator—mirrors a broader trend of multidisciplinarity among modern artists.

Legacy and Influence

Michael Moriarty's legacy is multifaceted:

• He is respected as a character actor who brings depth, moral complexity, and intensity to roles rather than gimmick or star veneer.

• His Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe credentials testify to his success across theater, television, and film.

• His example shows that actors can maintain integrity—and voice—rather than simply conforming to industry expectations.

• For younger actors, Moriarty demonstrates that reinvention (across geography, medium, and creative domain) is possible and that one’s identity need not be tied to a single role.

• His musical and literary works broaden the notion of an actor’s creative life—someone can be deeply engaged in more than one artistic domain without being overshadowed.

Personality, Traits & Philosophy

Moriarty is often described as intellectually serious, uncompromising, introspective, and at times contrarian. He has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with superficiality, censorship, and compromises in art.

He views acting as a kind of vocation—a calling rooted in truth over spectacle. As he once said:

“I had a Jesuit education, and I consider acting and the theater as kind of a calling — a vocation.”

He also has remarked politically:

“I consider myself a kind of a one-man government-in-exile. I don’t want to call it a government — let’s call it one man’s idea of American freedom in exile.”

He has been critical of drug laws, saying:

“Laws against things like drugs are inhumane, and create an inhumane society and inhumane law enforcement.”

Music is another anchor of his identity:

“My musical influences are from the ’50s: Bill Evans, Miles Davis and Ahmad Jamal.”

These declarations reflect his alignment with artistic integrity, political independence, and depth.

Famous Quotes by Michael Moriarty

Here are some thought-provoking quotes attributed to Michael Moriarty:

• “Life is best when you are in love.”

• “I had a Jesuit education, and I consider acting and the theater as kind of a calling — a vocation.”

• “I consider myself a kind of a one-man government-in-exile. … one man’s idea of American freedom in exile.”

• “Laws against things like drugs are inhumane, and create an inhumane society and inhumane law enforcement.”

• “My musical influences are from the ’50s: Bill Evans, Miles Davis and Ahmad Jamal.”

Each quote shows a side of Moriarty’s worldview—his leanings toward moral seriousness, skepticism of authority, and deep roots in the arts.

Lessons from Michael Moriarty

1. Artistic integrity over popularity — Moriarty often chose complex, challenging roles rather than chasing star parts.

2. Reinventing one’s life — His shift from U.S. to Canada, from actor to writer and musician, shows adaptability is possible.

3. Voice matters — He used his platform to speak critically about censorship, media, and politics.

4. Depth across disciplines — His life demonstrates that art, music, and writing can reinforce one another in sustaining a meaningful career.

5. Courage to dissent — His departure from Law & Order and self-identification as a kind of exile signals the importance of sticking to one’s principles, even at professional cost.

Conclusion

Michael Moriarty’s journey is neither conventional nor easy—but it is rich, layered, and uncompromising. His performances in Holocaust, Law & Order, and beyond are only part of his story. Add to that his music, his political voice, his move across borders, and his sustained commitment to craft—and you have a portrait of an artist who refused to shrink.

If you’d like, I can dig deeper into specific roles, interviews, or lesser-known writings of Moriarty. Would you prefer that next?