Michael Des Barres
Michael Philip Des Barres, Marquis Des Barres is a British actor and rock singer. The only child of Marquis Philip and Marchioness Irene Des Barres, Michael Des Barres grew up in Surrey and attended a boarding school. He later attended the Corona Academy drama school in London and appeared in several plays. Married in England, he divorced his first wife (Wendy) after meeting Pamela in 1974. He married Pamela on October 29, 1977. Their son, Nicholas Dean Des Barres, was born September 30, 1978. The couple divorced in 1991, but remained friends.
After relocating to Los Angeles, he formed the band Detective in 1975. They recorded two albums that were released on Led Zeppelin's Swan Song Records label, before breaking up in 1978. A solo album, I'm Only Human, followed in 1980, with a solo tour of the U.S. and UK. In 1983 he wrote and recorded the song "Obsession" together with Holly Knight, which later became a #6 Billboard Top 40 hit when covered by Animotion in 1985.
He released a second solo album called Somebody Up There Likes Me in 1986, which featured contributions by former bandmates Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) and Andy Taylor (Duran Duran).
Michael is, perhaps, best known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver, but has had a diverse and prolific acting career, having appeared in one or two movies every year, as well as dozens of television appearances. His first movie role was as a supporting cast member in the classic 1967 film To Sir, with Love playing an East End student who always wears dark sunglasses indoors and out, followed by a few other minor roles before he decided to pursue a career in music instead. After 1986, he concentrated his energies on acting again and was quickly cast in Nightflyers as a charismatic empath. In 1989 he played along with Clint Eastwood in the movie Pink Cadillac. His lead movie roles have been in Midnight Cabaret, Poison Ivy: The New Seduction, and Sugar Town. He also appeared in the 2004 movie Catch That Kid.
On television, Michael was also a lead cast member of The New WKRP in Cincinnati during the 1991-92 season as part of a husband-and-wife morning team. He had previously appeared on the original WKRP in Cincinnati as the lead singer of a punk band, Scum of the Earth. During this same time, he played a gay man (Leon's boyfriend) in two episodes of Roseanne. He also played one of Darlene's baby's doctors on one of the final episodes of the series. Some of his dozens of television appearances include Seinfeld, Renegade, ALF, Ellen, Nip/Tuck, Just Shoot Me!, Hart To Hart, My Sister Sam, Lois & Clark (which reunited him with another MacGyver recurring-character alumnus, Teri Hatcher; the two had even appeared together in two MacGyver episodes), JAG, Melrose Place, Nash Bridges, Northern Exposure, Rockford Files, Sledge Hammer!, Sliders, St. Elsewhere, 21 Jump Street, The Pretender, Dead Like Me, Frasier, Hawaii and Bones. He also played a role as an eccentric record producer in Four Kings. He has also done voice work for several animated television series.
Although Michael has allegedly been sober since 1981, the question is, is there any eternal hope in his life? There is nothing to suggest that he has a relationship with Jesus Christ, personally, but plenty of evidence to suggest that he probably doesn't. Our Father knows, tonight, where Michael stands with Him. Please pray, this week, that God will do a mighty work in Michael's life to bring him to understanding of his need for a redemptive relationship with the Son of God.
--Heidi