Michael Cimino (born November 10, 1999) is an actor from the United States. He is best known for his roles as Bob Palmeri in Annabelle Comes Home and Victor Salazar in Love, Victor, a Hulu series based on the 2018 film Love, Simon. He has been the voice of Kevin Grant-Gomez from the Disney Channel animated series Hamster & Gretel since 2022. I'm Somewhere Out There, his debut EP, was released on November 10, 2022.
Cimino was born in and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. His father is of Italian-German descent, and his mother is Puerto Rican. Cimino says he faced racism in elementary school, with children throwing him on the floor and kicking him, and accusing him of eating bugs, but he says those experiences made him more compassionate toward others. He began acting when he was eight years old, after joining an acting class taught by a fellow church member. Cimino dropped out of high school early to pursue acting more seriously and chose not to attend college.
Career
Cimino's early credits include a GEICO commercial and a pilot for Nickelodeon's Hopefuls in 2016. When he was 18, he moved to Los Angeles. Cimino appeared as Bob Palmeri in the 2019 horror film Annabelle Comes Home. He enjoys singing and playing guitar, and his song "Everything I Own" was included on the soundtrack of the film.
Cimino was cast in the lead role of Victor in the Disney+ series Love, Victor in August 2019. The show was later relocated to Hulu, where it will debut in June 2020. Cimino worked with his gay cousin to ensure Victor was a relatable and believable character.
Cimino joined the voice cast of Black Box, a scripted science fiction podcast series, in 2020.
Cimino's debut single "Love Addict" was released on June 15, 2021. This song was first heard on Good Morning America on June 3, 2021.
Cimino joined the cast of the thriller podcast series Jane Anonymous in May 2022, based on Laurie Faria Stolarz's novel of the same name.
Cimino plays Kevin in the Disney Channel animated series Hamster & Gretel. He has been cast in the final season of Never Have I Ever, which is set to premiere in 2023.
Private life
Despite playing a gay character in Love, Victor, Cimino identifies as straight, saying of his sexuality, "I don't want to put myself in a box and put myself in a position where if I came out as bi or gay 10 years from now, that I was defending an identity that was true to myself."
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Shangri-La Suite | Young Teijo |
| 2019 | Annabelle Comes Home | Bob Palmeri |
| 2021 | Centurion XII | Miguel |
| 2022 | Senior Year[22] | Lance |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Training Day | Young Sadiq | Episode: "Tunnel Vision" |
| 2018 | Dog Days | Dej | Short |
| 2018 | Walk the Prank | Brlayden | Episode: "Too Cool for High School" |
| 2020–2022 | Love, Victor[23] | Victor Salazar | Main role |
| 2022–present | Hamster & Gretel | Kevin Grant-Gomez (voice) | Main role |
| 2023 | Never Have I Ever | Ethan | Main role (season 4) |
| 2023 | Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur | Eduardo (voice)[24] | Recurring role[25] |
| Title | Release Date |
|---|---|
| I'm Somewhere Out There | November 10, 2022 |
| Title | Release Date |
|---|---|
| "Love Addict" | June 15, 2021 |
| "Little Blue Car" | July 15, 2021 |
| "Cigarettes and Incense" | August 15, 2021 |
| "The Love Was Real" | May 20, 2022 |
| "Make Me Wanna Dance" | June 24, 2022 |
| "Stole Me" | July 29, 2022 |
| Title | Release Date |
|---|---|
| "Stay The Night" | September 15, 2021 |
| Title | Album | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| "How You Feel About Me" | Hamster & Gretel | August 12, 2022 |
| "Overload the Grid" | ||
| "I Can Be Bad" |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Gold Derby Television Awards | Comedy Actor | Love, Victor | Nominated |
| Imagen Awards | Best Lead Actor – Comedy | Love, Victor | Won | |
| 2022 | Imagen Awards | Best Actor – Comedy (Television) | Love, Victor | Won |
