Michael Trucco

Biography:

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

Originally from San Mateo, California, Trucco attended Junipero Serra High School where he played football and wrestled. The son of a police officer, he initially considered becoming a cop himself but was drawn to acting while in college. He took a theatre course as part of his Criminal Justice studies, and after excelling in the class, he was encouraged to change majors. He switched to Theatre Arts and earned his bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University. His heritage includes Italian and Norwegian roots.

Trucco began his television career in the late 1990s with guest spots on shows such as Touched by an Angel, Silk Stalkings, Beverly Hills, 90210, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and Pensacola: Wings of Gold. He continued to appear in similar shows like CSI, Heartbeat, Strong Medicine, and CSI: Miami in the 2000s. He also portrayed Cooper Lee in six episodes of One Tree Hill from 2005 to 2006.

In 2002, Trucco starred in Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled. He joined Battlestar Galactica in 2005 as Samuel Anders. He made guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The Big Bang Theory in 2008. In 2010, he appeared as Detective Tom Demming on Castle and was cast as a series regular in Fairly Legal on USA Network.

Trucco made a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother in season 6 in 2011 and had a recurring role in season 8. He also played Nate Ryan in the second season of Revenge and appeared as Elliot’s brother in the 2017 film The Bye Bye Man.

Aside from acting, Trucco is the lead guitarist of the band Simpleworld.

On December 2, 2007, Trucco was involved in a car accident in Malibu, California, when his friend lost control of a Ferrari 360 on Pacific Coast Highway. The car flipped, landing upside down and crushing Trucco’s side. He suffered severe injuries, including four fractured vertebrae, while his friend escaped unscathed. Trucco initially lost sensation in his arms but regained feeling in his hands, allowing him to call for help. He was airlifted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and discharged on December 10, 2007. Doctors stated he was incredibly fortunate, suffering an injury similar to that of Christopher Reeve.