Michael Tolaydo

Michael Tolaydo, also known as Michael Ellis-Tolaydo, is an actor born on 23 July 1946 in Nairobi, Kenya. His Broadway career spanned from 1970 to 1984, during which he appeared in productions including the drama A Moon for the Misbegotten, Kingdoms, Dirty Linen & New-Found-Land, The Three Sisters, and The Time of Your Life. In the early 1980s, he relocated permanently from New York City to Washington, D.C.

Tolaydo's first stage experience came in a school production of Arsenic and Old Lace, in which he played one of the policemen. He subsequently appeared in several plays by Motti Lerner directed by Sinai Peter. His later theater work included Equus, The Night Alive, Tribes, Privates on Parade, Blue Heart, The Admission, Apples from the Desert, New Jerusalem, The Accident, Benedictus, The Pangs of the Messiah, and Heroes.

His work in American theater earned him multiple Helen Hayes Award nominations and wins. He received a nomination for supporting actor and later won a Helen Hayes Award for ensemble acting. He was nominated again in the supporting actor category for his role in New Jerusalem, and won a Helen Hayes Award for ensemble acting for Heroes.

In addition to his performing career, Tolaydo served as a Professor Emeritus of Theater, Film, and Media Studies at St. Mary's College of Maryland, retiring in May 2016 after 29 years of teaching.