Michael Rapaport is setting his sights on a new career path.
The 55-year-old actor announced on the Monday, Jan. 5 episode of his “I Am Rapaport” podcast that he plans on running for mayor of New York City in 2029, stating, “My name is Michael Rapaport, a.k.a. Mayor Rapaport. Mr. Mayor Rapaport.”
“Let me tell you something, guys, girls, women, children of all ages. 2025 was crazy, and I don’t see it getting any… calmer or cooler in 2026, the way things started,” he continued. “That’s why I’m running for mayor.”
His announcement comes after Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the city’s new mayor earlier this month. Rapaport has been very vocal about his dislike for Mamdani, who is known for his democratic socialist policies.
Rapaport is most well-known for his on-screen work as an actor, but aims to follow in the footsteps of fellow actors turned politicians, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan, by becoming the next mayor of New York City.
Here is Rapaport’s journey from actor to mayoral candidate.
Stand-up comedian
Rapaport made a name for himself as a stand-up comedian before transitioning into an actor.
As a comedian, Rapaport was known for his unfiltered and often aggressive, rant-driven style of humor, which often included his opinions on everyday topics.
“I definitely remember the first time I performed on stage,” he said on “The Jose Candelario Show” in February 2025. “I was 19. It was in an open mic in the afternoon… but I did the open mic in Manhattan somewhere downtown, and I don’t remember what jokes I did, but I remember my goal was if I could get one person to laugh, I was going to do it again.”
He explained that his stand-up career “got me into acting, which I fell in love with.” After his acting career took off, he quit stand-up at 25 years old, and only recently started getting back into it.
‘Zebrahead’
Rapaport’s first major role was in the 1992 movie “Zebrahead,” in which he played a young Jewish boy who falls in love with a black teenage girl in Detroit.
The movie tackles the difficulty of being in an interracial relationship at the time. It was a success among critics and earned a modest $1.5 million at the box office.
While the movie was not a major blockbuster success, Rapaport’s performance was well received and led to further leading roles in movies.
‘True Romance’
Following his first on-screen role, the actor was cast in his breakout role in the 1993 film, “True Romance.”
Also starring Christian Slater, Brad Pitt, Patricia Arquette and many other big names, the movie follows a comic-book enthusiast, Clarence, and a prostitute, Alabama, who fall in love. A series of events lead to Clarence killing Alabama’s pimp and accidentally stealing a suitcase of cocaine.
The two then work toward selling it, but soon find themselves on the radar of the mob. Rapaport plays Dick Ritchie, a friend of Clarence’s, who helps him deal with the mob.
“That was the only movie that I’ve ever done that I knew was going to be a good movie,” Rapaport said in a September 2016 episode of his podcast. “When you make a movie it’s like if you’re baking a cake. All the ingredients were there. The recipe was there, and you had a fantastic chef.”
TV appearances
He continued to prove he had a strong acting ability by appearing in many big movies, including “Higher Learning,” “Metro” and “Cop Land,” before also setting his sights on television.
Rapaport gained mainstream TV recognition when he landed a recurring role on the hit sitcom, “Friends,” playing Detective Gary, the boyfriend of Lisa Kudrow’s character, Phoebe.
The actor later starred in the hit shows “Boston Public,” and “The War at Home.” He also starred in “Prison Break,” playing the main antagonist in the fourth season.
He continued with guest spots on many TV shows, while also appearing in films. Most recently he starred in the Netflix show, “Atypical.”
“I loved the character and I loved the show, and just the response that people have had to it has been really overwhelming to be honest with you,” Rapaport told the “Dan Patrick Show” in November 2019. “It’s a family show, and I’m very proud of ‘Atypical.’”
He also appeared in a few episodes of “Only Murders in the Building.”
‘I Am Rapaport: Stereo Podcast’
Rapaport launched his podcast, “I Am Rapaport: Stereo Podcast,” in 2014, which went on to gain more mainstream success the following year.
At the time, it focused on New York sports teams and NBA commentary, leading him to win best sports podcast at the Podcast Awards in 2015. It was at this point that he started having audiences call in and doing live shows.
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As the podcast continued to gain popularity, clips of the episodes began going viral on social media, and Rapaport began inviting celebrity guests, including actors, NBA players and comedians. This helped expose the actor to a younger audience.
More recently, the podcast has become more of a space for Rapaport to comment on politics and social issues. He briefly signed with Barstool Sports in 2017, before being let go in 2018.
Arrest
Following his breakthrough performances in film and television, Rapaport experiences some tough times in his personal life.
In May 1997, the actor was arrested after he showed up at his ex-girlfriend, actress Lili Taylor’s house at 1 a.m. and was banging on her window repeatedly. He later pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment, and according to E! News, told the judge that he also called Taylor 21 times in a four-day period after their breakup.
As a result, the judge issued a protection order keeping Rapaport away from Taylor, and also mandated the actor get counseling twice a month for a year. Had he violated any of these conditions, he would be sentenced to one year of jail time.
Marriage
Rapaport first found love in 2000, when he married television producer and writer Nichole Beattie.
The two were married for seven years and welcomed two sons together, Julian and Maceo, before getting divorced in 2007.
Following his divorce from Beattie, Rapaport reconnected with his former girlfriend, Kebe Dunn, who he first dated in the ’90s. It is unclear when exactly they rekindled their romance, but they were first spotted out together in 2012.
They eventually tied the knot in 2016, and are often posting about one another on social media. “Everything is better with you. Happy Anniversary @michaelrapaport you bring me joy🖤,” she wrote on Instagram to celebrate their third anniversary in December 2019.
Mayoral race
Following the election of Mamdani as mayor, Rapaport announced he is planning on running for the office in the 2029 election cycle.
In addition to making the announcement on his podcast, Rapaport also took to Instagram to share the news, emphasizing in the video that he was “born and raised in New York City.”
“Born. Raised. NYC. Nothing’s free. No bulls—. No fake grins,” he wrote in the caption. “I’ll own my mistakes, apologize when I screw up, and fight to make this city safe, affordable, and thriving. You got Zoron the Moron now…Mayor Rapaport is coming. How you like them apples? 🍎🗽.”
Many people in the comments section were supportive of the actor’s decision, including Jackie Goldschneider, who wrote: “I will lead the efforts from NJ!! 🙌🙌,” and Dorit Kemsley, who left clapping hands emojis.
“I will move to NYC just to vote for you! ✈️,” one fan wrote. Another added, “Love the sound of it – Mayor Rappaport! How can I help!?”
