Michael John Berryman is an American actor. Berryman was born with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, a rare condition characterised by the absence of sweat glands, hair, and fingernails; his unusual physical appearance has allowed Berryman to make a career out of portraying characters in horror movies and B movies. He came to prominence with his roles in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975 and The Hills Have Eyes in 1977. He has appeared in several movies and television shows, including Star Trek and The X-Files.
Personal life
Berryman is a strong advocate for environmental protection and lived on a wolf sanctuary for ten years. He is married to Patricia Berryman. Berryman's father was a US Naval surgeon and was deployed to the Hiroshima fallout zone in the wake of the atomic bombing.
Career
Berryman played Pluto in Wes Craven's 1977 horror filmThe Hills Have Eyes and the 1985 sequel The Hills Have Eyes Part II. He has also made appearances in the science fiction and fantasy movies My Science Project, Weird Science, Armed Response, Evil Spirits, The Guyver and Brutal. He appeared in the 1975 Academy Award-winning drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. His time on set for The Hills Have Eyes proved difficult for him, since during the 4-month shoot, temperatures in the desert routinely surpassed 100 degrees Fahrenheit and, without sweat glands, he had to take special precautions in order to avoid suffering heat stroke. He had a role in The Crow as "The Skull Cowboy", Eric Draven's guide to the land of the living. Berryman's scenes were cut from the original theatrical release, but can be found on some DVD releases under "Deleted Scenes". He has appeared in and some episodes of The X-Files. He appeared in the 1985 Mötley Crüe video for "Smokin' In the Boys Room", as well as the introduction to the band's song "Home Sweet Home". He also portrayed the devil in two episodes of Highway to Heaven: "The Devil and Jonathan Smith" and "I Was a Middle-Aged Werewolf". Berryman is a popular draw at genre conventions, such as the 2002 Horrorfind convention in Baltimore, Maryland, and the 2007 Eerie Horror Film Festival in Erie, Pennsylvania. He also appeared in 2001 and 2002 at the Horrorfind convention in Baltimore, Maryland and in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 7 and 8 attending as a guest of "The Milwaukee County Massacre", a horror film convention and music festival. Berryman appeared at the "Scarefest" convention in Lexington, Kentucky, and at the Spooky Empire convention in Orlando, Florida on October 17–19, 2008. He appeared in Roseville, Minnesota at Crypticon 2008 for "A November to Dismember" on November 14–16, 2008 for the show's third year. Berryman starred in the British-Canadian horror film Below Zero , directed by Justin Thomas Orstensen. He was also a special guest at the third annual San Antonio Horrific Film Fest in August 2010, the Cinema Wasteland convention in April 2011 and the Contamination Convention in Missouri in June 2012.
Awards
Filmography
' as Coroner
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest as Ellis
The Hills Have Eyes as Pluto
Another Man, Another Chance as First Bandit
The Fifth Floor as Mental Patient
Co-Ed
Deadly Blessing as William Gluntz
Likely Stories, Vol. 3 as Man on television commercial
