Born to parents Gerard Vincent Groves and Mary Roseanne Brown, Michael is the eldest of 11 children. Raised in the Midwest, he grew up in the small town of Northville, Michigan. After graduating from Northville High School, Michael attended Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan where he earned an A.A. in Theatre and Voice. From there, Michael moved to New York City in 1986.

His interest in acting began at the ripe old age of 9 when he appeared in his local community's Playhouse's production of "The Hobbit" and continued throughout High School. As a member of The Performing Arts Guild, Michael played such roles as Renfield in "Dracula" and The Padre in "Man of La Mancha". Although exceptionally talented at the piano, Michael chose to focus his attention on acting and singing by setting his ambitions on Broadway. This led him to NYU where he studied Theatre and Music graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1993.

Having a very unique, specific look made booking Broadway and Musical Theatre work in New York difficult. However, that same look quickly led to print and modeling opportunities and starring roles in music videos (many which were featured on MTV). This led to an interest in TV and Film. After landing a few bit parts on TV and some extra roles in Feature Films, Michael caught the film bug and headed to Hollywood. Michael's most recent credits include the role of [Moses] in the SAG Feature Film "Heathens & Thieves", the role of [Demon] in WGN America's drama "Salem" and most recently, the role of [Hagen] in the SAG Feature Film "The Russian Bride" opposite Corbin Bernsen.