Born in New York to a famed family of actors, Mike first walked out on stage at the age of three, stole the show from his father and hasn’t looked back since. He has enjoyed a unique international career entertaining audiences on stage, screen and television, in nightclubs and on concert stages throughout the world, and is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Israeli Union of Performing Artists for his lifelong contribution to the culture of Israeli stage and film.
Fluent in 8 languages, he is Director of Dubbing at NETFLIX and wrote and directed his award-winning Israeli feature film “Azimuth”, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Six Day War, streaming on Amazon Prime. He stars in the hit Israeli TV series “Judah” on HULU, in the Israeli feature film "Happy Times," as the voice of Amos in the English version of the Netflix hit series “Fauda” and in the upcoming German ADR TV series "Die Zfeiflers."
Mike starred on Broadway as P.T. Barnum in the Tony Award winning musical "Barnum" (a role he recreated in the Dutch language production in The Netherlands). Other Broadway credits include his 1st Outer Critics Circle Award nomination starring as Mike Todd in the Broadway musical "Ain’t Broadway Grand," "The Megilla" and "Inquest," in which he was hissed and booed eight times a week as Roy Cohn.
He received Drama Desk Award nominations and rave reviews in New York for his performance in the revival of "The Rothschilds" and in "On 2nd Avenue," and his 2nd Outer Critics Circle Award nomination starring Off-Broadway and in Los Angeles as Meyer Lansky in "Lansky."
Off-Broadway Mike acted as host-narrator for the 92nd Street Y’s famous "Lyrics & Lyricists" series, inaugurated City Center’s popular Encores series in "Fiorello" and starred in "The Fishkin Touch," in Murray Schisgal’s "Circus Life" and in the revival of Neil Simon’s "The Prisoner of Second Avenue."
Other recent starring credits include: Carnegie Hall "From Shtetl To Stage;" “The Inspector General” Israeli Yiddishpiel Theatre; the world premiere in Los Angeles of “Jolson at the Winter Garden” a musical he co-created; the NYT’s hit “The Adventures of Hershele Ostropolyer;” "Guys & Dolls" with Vic Damone; "Berlin To Broadway" Coconut Grove Playhouse (Best Actor, Carbonell Award Nomination); with Valerie Harper in the National tour of "The Tale Of The Allergist's Wife;” the national tour as Al Jolson, in the musical "Jolson" and as Tevye in "Fiddler on The Roof."
Overseas, Mike has been one of Israel’s all-time popular stars. He is the winner of two Israeli Oscars for his screen portrayal of Kuni Leml, a kind of Israeli Forrest Gump. The Israel Cinematheque saluted his achievements in the Israeli film industry by honoring him at a special ceremony in 1997. Over the past decades he has had several successful television shows and been a recording artist for CBS Israel.
From1978 to 1981, Mike hosted and starred in his own TV variety show in Israel and in Holland. "The Mike Burstyn Show" was rated among the ten most popular shows in The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Mike's friends Chita Rivera and Ben Vereen made their Dutch television debuts on his show.
Among his other numerous achievements: Mike has had the honor of performing at the Kennedy Center Honors, before President Reagan, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands and the Presidents and Prime Ministers of Israel and starring in a Royal Variety Show at London’s famed Palladium. As a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces Mike has entertained the troops both in peacetime and during three wars and performed with Danny Kaye on his month-long tour of army bases and hospitals following the Six Day War. He is fluent in and has performed in eight languages.
His father, Pesach’ke, was one of the great stars of the Yiddish theatre. His biography, "What a Life" has been published by Syracuse University Press. His mother, Lillian Lux, partnered her husband on and off stage for nearly 50 years. "The Komediant," a documentary about Mike and his family, won the Israeli Oscar.
Mike has been honored through the years with numerous artistic, cultural and humanitarian awards. He is president of American Friends of "Yedidim" and a board member of "Make A Wish Israel," and "Zahal Disabled Veterans Fund."
Visit Mike on Facebook and on his YouTube channel, "Mike Burstyn & Friends"
also available as a Podcast.
His albums are available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and others services.
Mike is blessed with a beautiful angel of a wife, two incomparable sons and three brilliant grandchildren.