Michael Trucco


Edward Michael Trucco is an American actor known for his role as Samuel Anders on the reimagined Battlestar Galactica and his recurring role as Nick Podarutti in How I Met Your Mother. He also appeared on the 2017–2018 Netflix series Disjointed, as Tae Kwon Douglas, a local martial arts instructor who was anti-drug.

Early life

A native of San Mateo, California, Trucco attended Junípero [Serra High School (San Mateo, California)|Junipero Serra High School] where he played football and wrestled. He is the son of a police officer, and was once interested in becoming one himself until college, when he was attracted to theatrical performance. He took a theatre course for non-majors while he was studying Criminal Justice, but he did so well that he was asked to consider changing majors. He changed majors and completed his bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts at Santa Clara University. He has Italian and Norwegian ancestry.

Career

Trucco became active in television in the late 1990s with appearances in episodes of Touched by an Angel, Silk Stalkings, Beverly Hills, 90210, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and Pensacola: Wings of Gold among others. He continued appearing in shows of similar genres like CSI, Heartbeart, Strong Medicine, CSI: Miami, and others into the 2000s. He played Cooper Lee in six episodes of One Tree Hill from 2005 to 2006.
In 2002, Trucco starred in Wishmaster: [The Prophecy Fulfilled]. In 2005, he joined the drama Battlestar Galactica in the role of Samuel Anders. In 2008, he guest-starred on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The Big Bang Theory. In 2010, he guest-starred on ABC's series Castle as Detective Tom Demming. In 2010, Trucco was cast as a series regular in the USA Network series Fairly Legal.
Trucco guest-starred in a season 6 episode of How I Met Your Mother in 2011, and had a recurring role in the show's eighth season. He played the recurring character Nate Ryan in the second season of Revenge. He later played Elliot's brother in the 2017 film The Bye Bye Man.
Trucco is also the lead guitarist of the band Simpleworld.

Personal life

On Sunday, December 2, 2007, Trucco was involved in a car crash with a friend who was driving a Ferrari 360 on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. The vehicle flipped on an embankment, landing upside-down, impacting Trucco's side of the car. Trucco was badly injured in the collision, fracturing four of his vertebrae, whereas his friend walked away uninjured. He has stated that he initially lost feeling in his arms. He was eventually able to get out of the vehicle after regaining feeling in his hands and used his cell phone to call for emergency help. Trucco was airlifted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for further care. On December 10, 2007, he was released from the hospital’s care. Doctors said he was extremely lucky, suffering almost the same injury as Christopher Reeve.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995Hang TimeTim RitterEpisode: "Earl Makes the Grade"
1996SistersYoung Elton GrenthalEpisode: "The Best Man"
1996The GuiltMichael McKenzieEpisode: "Dean's Office"
1996California DreamsDann HazakoffEpisode: "Babewatch"
1997Silk StalkingsDaveEpisode: "List of [Silk Stalkings episodes|Air-Tight Alibi]"
1997Sunset BeachOfficerUncredited; season 1, episode 215
1997Touched by an AngelThomas "Tommy" DoyleEpisode: "Venice"
1998Beverly Hills, 90210Josh Hunter3 episodes
1998Dr. Quinn, Medicine WomanPatrick CollinsEpisode: "Seeds of Doubt"
1998–2000Pensacola: Wings of GoldLieutenant Tucker "Spoon" HenryMain cast ; 40 episodes
1999CharmedAlecEpisode: "Love Hurts"
2000Nash BridgesGil ValloneEpisode: "Missing Key"
2000FreedomNolanEpisode: "Siege"
2001Sabrina, the Teenage WitchKevin4 episodes
2001Family LawLee BigelowEpisode: "Bringing Up Babies"
2001ArlissRounder FlemingEpisode: "The Price of Their Toys"
2001That's LifeJason Prader2 episodes
2002ArlissFred RussellEpisode: "Playing It Safe"
2002Bram & AliceRobertEpisode: "Required Reading"
2002CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationFred DacksEpisode: "CSI: [Crime Scene Investigation season 3#ep56|High and Low]"
2003Tru CallingNick KellyEpisode: "Putting Out Fires"
2003The ParkersBillEpisode: "Out with the Old, in with the New"
2004Strong MedicineVictorEpisode: "Selective Breeding"
2005Strong MedicineZackEpisode: "First Response"
2005CSI: MiamiMitch LockhartEpisode: "One Night Stand"
2005JoeyPaulEpisode: "Joey and the Wrong Name"
2005–2006One Tree HillCooper Lee6 episodes
2005–2009Battlestar GalacticaSamuel AndersRecurring
Main cast
35 episodes
2008Eli StoneAdam MitchellEpisode: "One More Try"
2008Law & Order: Special Victims UnitEric LutzEpisode: "Smut"
2008The Big Bang TheoryDr. David UnderhillEpisode: "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis"
2010VJohn MayEpisode: "John May"
2010CastleCastle characters#Detective Tom Demming|Detective Tom Demming]4 episodes
2010100 QuestionsLukeEpisode: "Have You Ever Dated a Bad Boy?"
2011–2012Fairly LegalJustin PatrickMain cast; 23 episodes
2011–2012How I Met Your MotherNick Podarutti7 episodes
2011PsychCal EasonEpisode: "Dead Man's Curve Ball"
2012Young JusticeAdam Strange 4 episodes
2012–2013RevengeNate Ryan7 episodes
2014Killer WomenBilly ParkerMain cast; 8 episodes
2014IntelligenceSecret Service Agent Charlie GriffinEpisode: "Secrets of the Secret Service"
2014Criminal MindsOwen McGregor2 episodes
2014ScandalCharles "Chip" PutneyEpisode: "Baby Made a Mess"
2014The ExesJeffEpisode: "Love and Death"
2015The LibrariansSam DenningEpisode: "The Librarians and the Infernal Contract"
2016GrandfatheredCraig4 episodes
2017DisjointedTae Kwon DougRecurring role
2017Chicago P.D.Frank BarrettEpisode: "Rabbit Hole"
2019–PresentThe RookieSean Del Monte11 episodes
2019, 2024The Good DoctorEthan Murphy2 episodes
2021FBIEthan ShawEpisode: "FBI episodes|Leverage]"
2021Midnight MassWade ScarboroughMain cast; 7 episodes
2022–presentFire CountryLukeMain cast
2022Young SheldonDustyEpisode: "Passion's Harvest and a Sheldocracy"
2023The [Fall of the House of Usher (miniseries)|The Fall of the House of Usher]Rufus Griswold8 episodes
2023–presentAverage JoeBenjamin "Touch" TuchawuskiMain cast
TBACarrieIn production