Michael's first attention came in the form of a role on the TV series "The Greatest American Hero" (1980/81) playing the part of Tony Villacana, a poor man's Fonzie.

"Hero" lasted for a season and a half before falling victim to cancellation. For Michael it led to his role as guitar-wielding Eddie Wilson in EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS (1983).

When the director of EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS, Marty Davidson, approached Michael and asked if he could play guitar, Michael hedged the issue. "Yeah, I have a guitar," he said. Davidson asked him if he could sing. "I sing a little." And finally the director asked him if he could write/music. Michael answered, "I have a few tunes roaming around in my head!" It must have been what the director wanted to hear because Michael got the starring role of Eddie Wilson.

Michael's next film endeavor, STREETS OF FIRE (1984), is a fantasy love story. Michael starring as Tom Cody, in another strong but silent hero role, seeks to rescue Ellen Aim (Diane Lane), from a biker gang led by the evil Raven (Willem Dafoe). Bill Paxton also appears as, Clyde, the goofy bartender.

The $5 million production of THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT (1984) which was a comedown in many ways from the $22 million production of "Streets", Paré said, "It was the only way for me to break my typecast image of a junior-league Clint Eastwood," THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT was all acting. There were no guns, no guitars, nothing for me to hide behind. This film broke even in two weeks, and then got pulled from theaters. Suddenly, I wasn’t a movie star anymore."

Michael began taking roles in slim-budgeted action and Sci-Fi vehicles such as SPACE RAGE (1985), THE WOMEN'S CLUB (1987) a soft-core sex comedy, and in INSTANT JUSTICE (1987).

In 1987 Michael landed a starring role, as Sgt. Joey La Fiamma, in his second TV series, CBS-TV’s series, "Houston Knights" (1987).

To wrap up the 80's Michael did two movies back to back, barely finishing MOON 44 (1989) before having to report on the set of EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS II: EDDIE LIVES! (1989).

The nineties have brought Michael a string of forgetable also ran films, with the exception of his supporting role in the Sandra Bullock film HOPE FLOATS (1998).

Michael and his wife, Marjolein, live in Amsterdam, her homeland, with their son, Michael Johannes Paré.