# Michael Weston
**Michael Weston** (born 1973, as Michael Rubinstein) is an American television and film actor known for the private detective Lucas Douglas on *House M.D.*, the homicidal meth addict Jake on the HBO drama *Six Feet Under*, and Private Brian Dancer on *Scrubs*.[1](https://latw.org/artist-public-profile/michael-weston) He has also appeared in feature films including *Garden State* (2004), *Pathology* (2008), and *[State of Play](https://www.edgepedia.org/state-of-play-film)* (2009).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973, New York City, New York, USA |
| Birth name | Michael Rubinstein; changed to Weston because another Michael Rubinstein was already registered with the Screen Actors Guild[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/) |
| Family | Son of actor John Rubinstein and actress Judi West; grandson of the pianist Artur (Arthur) Rubinstein[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/weston-michael-1973-michael-rubinstein-mike-weston) |
| Education | Northwestern University, B.S.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/weston-michael-1973-michael-rubinstein-mike-weston) |
| Best-known TV roles | Lucas Douglas on *House* (10 episodes, 2008-2010), Jake on *Six Feet Under*, Private Brian Dancer on *Scrubs*[1](https://latw.org/artist-public-profile/michael-weston) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/fullcredits/) |
| Notable films | *Getting to Know You* (1999), *Coyote Ugly* (2000), *Garden State* (2004), *The Last Kiss* (2006), *Pathology* (2008), *State of Play* (2009), *Bark* (2025)[5](https://www.fandango.com/people/michael-weston-722478/film-credits) |
| Award | Grand Jury Prize for best supporting actor, New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, 2000, for *Sally*[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/weston-michael-1973-michael-rubinstein-mike-weston) |
| Marriage | Married to the musician Priscilla Ahn since June 2010[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/) |
## Early life and family
Weston was born Michael Rubinstein in New York City in 1973, the son of [John Rubinstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-rubinstein), an actor, singer, composer, and director, and the actress Judi West.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/weston-michael-1973-michael-rubinstein-mike-weston) Through his father he is a grandson of the concert pianist Artur Rubinstein.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/) In a 2012 interview he described an upbringing split between coasts, following his father's theater work, and said his interest in acting began in high school after a dean required him to find an activity outside the hallways he had been disrupting.[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/BWW-Interviews-Actor-Michael-Weston-Talks-About-OTHER-DESERT-CITIES-20121203)
The stage name has a practical origin: he adopted "Weston" because another Michael Rubinstein was already registered with the [Screen Actors Guild](https://www.edgepedia.org/screen-actors-guild).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/) He graduated from [Northwestern University](https://www.edgepedia.org/northwestern-university) with a B.S.[3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/weston-michael-1973-michael-rubinstein-mike-weston), and, according to his IMDb biography, spent a year and a half in Paris with his grandmother after college, working there as a bartender.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/)
## Career
**Television.** His first television appearance was in the syndicated series *Night Man* in 1998.[7](https://scrubs.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Weston) Recurring and guest roles followed on a long list of American series, including *Frasier*, *Monk*, *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*, *[Six Feet Under](https://www.edgepedia.org/six-feet-under-tv-series)* (as Jake, 2004-2005), *ER*, *Psych*, *Scrubs*, *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (as Simon Marsden), *[NCIS](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncis-tv-series)*, *NCIS: Los Angeles*, *Burn Notice*, *White Collar*, *The Office*, *CSI: NY*, *Elementary*, *Hawaii Five-0*, *The Resident*, *The Good Doctor*, *[Home Before Dark](https://www.edgepedia.org/home-before-dark-tv-series)*, and *A Million Little Things*.[1](https://latw.org/artist-public-profile/michael-weston) • [8](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=11036) On *House M.D.* he played the private investigator Lucas Douglas in ten episodes between 2008 and 2010.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/fullcredits/)
**Film.** His first feature film appearance was in the Sundance indie *Getting to Know You* (1999), which also featured [Zach Braff](https://www.edgepedia.org/zach-braff), a friend who later cast him in several of his own projects: *Garden State* (2004, as Kenny), *The Last Kiss* (2006, as Izzy), and *Wish I Was Here* (2014, as Jerry).[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/michael_weston) He starred with [Rachael Leigh Cook](https://www.edgepedia.org/rachael-leigh-cook) in the romantic drama *Sally* (2000), credited there under his original name Michael Rubinstein.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/michael_weston) • [3](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/weston-michael-1973-michael-rubinstein-mike-weston) Other credits include *Coyote Ugly* (2000), *Hart's War* (2002), *The Dukes of Hazzard* (2005, as Deputy Enos Strate), *Wedding Daze* (2006), the thriller *Pathology* (2008, as Jake Gallo), *State of Play* (2009, as Hank), *Liberal Arts* (2012), *Gravy* (2015), and *Down to the Felt* (2025).[5](https://www.fandango.com/people/michael-weston-722478/film-credits)
**Stage.** His theater credits include *The Waverly Gallery* ([Pasadena Playhouse](https://www.edgepedia.org/pasadena-playhouse)), *Extinction* (Cherry Lane Theatre, off-Broadway), Jon Robin Baitz's *Other Desert Cities* at the Mark Taper Forum in 2012, in which he replaced the initially cast [Justin Long](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-long), and works at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and South Coast Repertory.[1](https://latw.org/artist-public-profile/michael-weston) • [6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/BWW-Interviews-Actor-Michael-Weston-Talks-About-OTHER-DESERT-CITIES-20121203) He has also worked as a writer and recorded a soundtrack credit.[10](https://fetch.fm/media/uploads/production-notes/2018/12/18/12/26/SK.PRODUCTION.NOTEScc05.31.2018v4.pdf)
## Recent work
In Marc Schölermann's thriller *Bark*, Weston plays Nolan Bentley, a man who wakes up tied to a tree in a forest with no memory of how he got there; the film had a 90-minute single-location structure and was released on digital and VOD on June 13, 2025, through Dark Sky Films.[11](https://www.cinedump.com/interviews/2025/6/16/michael-weston) Rotten Tomatoes lists *Bark* as his highest-rated film at 100 percent from critics.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/michael_weston)
## Namesake and name-confusion notes
Weston's surname collides with the fictional spy Michael Westen, the protagonist of *Burn Notice*, portrayed by [Jeffrey Donovan](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeffrey-donovan).[12](https://burnnotice.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Westen) In July 2009 Weston himself guest-starred on that series, in the episode "Signals and Codes," playing Spencer Watkowski, while the show's main character shares his name with a different spelling.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/) • [13](https://www.metacritic.com/person/michael-weston/) A separate IMDb entry, "Michael Weston (IV)," records a different person of the same name who works in production and art departments on films such as *Alone* (2020) and *[Debt Collectors](https://www.edgepedia.org/debt-collectors-film)* (2020).[14](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9410689/)
## References
1. [Michael Weston artist profile, L.A. Theatre Works](https://latw.org/artist-public-profile/michael-weston)
2. [Michael Weston Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922995/bio/)
3. [Weston, Michael 1973- (Michael Rubinstein, Mike Weston), Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/weston-michael-1973-michael-rubinstein-mike-weston)
4. [House (2004-2012) full cast and crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/fullcredits/)
5. [Michael Weston Filmography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/michael-weston-722478/film-credits)
6. [BWW Interviews: Actor Michael Weston Talks About OTHER DESERT CITIES, BroadwayWorld (December 3, 2012)](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/BWW-Interviews-Actor-Michael-Weston-Talks-About-OTHER-DESERT-CITIES-20121203)
7. [Michael Weston, Scrubs Wiki](https://scrubs.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Weston)
8. [Michael Weston, TVSA](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=11036)
9. [Michael Weston Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/michael_weston)
10. [Speed Kills production notes, Hannibal Classics](https://fetch.fm/media/uploads/production-notes/2018/12/18/12/26/SK.PRODUCTION.NOTEScc05.31.2018v4.pdf)
11. [Michael Weston - Bark, Garden State, Pathology (2025) interview, CineDump (June 16, 2025)](https://www.cinedump.com/interviews/2025/6/16/michael-weston)
12. [Michael Westen, Burn Wiki](https://burnnotice.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Westen)
13. [Michael Weston, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/michael-weston/)
14. [Michael Weston (IV), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9410689/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames U to We*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license