Character guide
Michael Mell
from Be More Chill
Michael Mell is Jeremy Heere's loyal best friend in Be More Chill, Joe Iconis's rock musical about a supercomputer pill that promises to make Jeremy cool.
- Show
- Be More Chill
- Broadway premiere
- 2019
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Joe Iconis
Michael Mell: role facts
- Originated on Broadway by
- George Salazar (2019; he also played Michael at the 2015 Two River Theater premiere and Off-Broadway in 2018)
- Notable performers
- Blake Patrick Anderson played Michael in the 2020 London production.
- Voice type and range
- Tenor
- Songs Michael Mell sings
- More Than Survive (with Jeremy and ensemble)
- Two-Player Game (with Jeremy)
- Michael in the Bathroom (with ensemble)
- The Pants Song (with Mr. Heere)
- The Play (with Jake, Brooke, Chloe, Jeremy, Christine, and the Squip)
- Voices in My Head (with company)
Who is Michael Mell?
Michael Mell is Jeremy's longtime best friend, a self-described player two who has stuck by Jeremy's side through years of shared nerdiness, video games, and general social invisibility at school. When Jeremy takes the Squip and begins reshaping his life around it, Michael finds himself pushed aside for the first time, forced to confront just how much of his own identity was built around their friendship.
Michael's hurt and eventual resilience give the show real emotional grounding, and his arc culminates in one of Be More Chill's most beloved numbers, sung alone at a party where he no longer belongs.
Michael's role in Be More Chill
Michael is a lead role in Be More Chill, and his solo number Michael in the Bathroom became one of the show's most widely embraced songs, spreading online well beyond the show's theatre audience. The role requires a performer who can balance easy comic charm with a sudden, sincere vulnerability.
Audiences remember Michael as the show's emotional conscience, the character whose loyalty ultimately proves more valuable than anything the Squip promises Jeremy.
Michael Mell: frequently asked questions
Who played Michael Mell on Broadway in Be More Chill?
George Salazar originated the role of Michael Mell, first playing him at Be More Chill's 2015 premiere at Two River Theater and carrying the role through its 2018 Off-Broadway run and its 2019 Broadway opening. He won the 2019 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for the Off-Broadway production.
What is Michael Mell's personality like in Be More Chill?
Michael Mell is Jeremy's laid-back, funny best friend, comfortable being unpopular and happy to spend his time playing video games with Jeremy. He even tells Jeremy that being a loser is okay, which makes Jeremy's choice to drop him for the Squip especially painful.
How popular did Michael in the Bathroom become?
It became the show's signature song: in May 2019, Billboard called Michael in the Bathroom Be More Chill's most famous anthem and reported that a YouTube video of George Salazar singing it had passed 3.5 million views. The show's online following helped carry it to Off-Broadway in 2018 and Broadway in 2019.
What show is Michael Mell from?
Michael Mell is a lead character in Be More Chill, which opened on Broadway in 2019.
Is Michael Mell a lead or supporting role?
Michael is a lead role, Jeremy's best friend, known for the song Michael in the Bathroom.
Who wrote the music for Be More Chill?
Joe Iconis composed the music and lyrics, with a book by Joe Tracz.
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