Michael Michele (born Michael Michele Williams on August 30, 1966 in Evansville, Indiana) is an American film and television actress. She is the eldest of two daughters. Her father, Jerry, is an entrepreneur. Her mother, Thersa, is a corporate manager. In high school she played volleyball, basketball, and ran track.
After high school, she moved to New York and quickly got commercial work. This led to a role in Eddie Murphy's 1989 film Harlem Nights. But that role dissolved when she spurned his advances and she filed a sexual harassment suit against him. The suit was ultimately settled out of court. She then went to work at Gap Inc to make ends meet. That ended in 1991, when she got her big break in the 1991 film New Jack City.
She is best known for her role as Dr. Cleo Finch on the television series ER. She also had a starring role in the short-lived television series Kevin Hill. Michele played the role of Veronica Porsche Ali in the 2001 film, ALI. She gave birth to a baby named J. Brandon on December 21, 2001.