Michael Aronov
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. He spent three seasons on the award winning series The Americans (2013), playing a physicist that is torn from his family and exiled as a political prisoner. In film, Michael is most known for his role as Chovka, the Chechen warlord and head gangster opposite Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini in The Drop (2014). He was added to the cast of The Blacklist (2013) in their season five premier as fast-talking lovable hustler, Smokey Putnam (2017). Aronov had already taken on the gritty undercover world in the Bronx as Danny Raden - a series-lead apposite Larenz Tate in BET's original pilot/film Gun Hill (2011). Previously he paralleled Jim Caviezel's character as Michael Cahill in Person of Interest (2011), donning the role of another undercover cop searching for symmetry between family and the streets. Michael was later seen as avenging father and Italian royalty, Count Vincent of Naples in Reign (2013). Other notable television appearances include Danny Lambros on The Good Wife (2009), cocksure Mafia protege Ricky Vintano on Blue Bloods (2010), billionaire Brice Hunter on Without a Trace (2002), and recurring roles on Madam Secretary (2014) and The Closer (2005), where Aronov portrayed concealed war criminal Armand Marku, pitting him head-to-head with Kyra Sedgwick in a gripping season finale. Earlier in his career the actor earned respect for his unique level of immersion into a role as he lost nearly fifty pounds to reflect the authentic downfall of Sacco Valenzia, a charismatic and boundless addict in the Sundance Film Festival favorite and 2011 Independent Spirit Award nominated film - Lbs. (2004).