What Michael Irby From Law Abiding Citizen Is Doing Now
Remember 2009? The Marvel Cinematic Universe was just being teased and the "Fast and Furious" movies weren't about saving the world yet. It was a simpler time, at least for cinema. One of the big sleeper hits from that year was the original thriller "Law Abiding Citizen." Based on a Kurt Wimmer script, the film follows Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) as he takes revenge in some pretty elaborate ways on those responsible for allowing his family's killer to walk free. At the center of the debacle in prosecuting is attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx).
It's a clever twist on the vigilante drama, with Shelton using his engineering skills to become a Jigsaw avenger of sorts. Audiences responded well to the premise, with the film grossing more than $120 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo). Not bad for a film with no background IP, something that's seemingly become a necessity to get a movie funded today. The cast of "Law Abiding Citizen" has been plenty busy since the 2009 release, from Butler and Foxx to even the cast's supporting players like Michael Irby.
Irby portrays Detective Garza in the movie, and while the actor isn't headlining an action franchise like Butler with "Olympus Has Fallen" and the sequels, or popping up in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" like Foxx, he's keeping pretty busy today.
He plays Cristobal Sifuentes in Barry
Most of Michael Irby's filmography is full of serious dramatic work, "Law Abiding Citizen" being just one example. Since that movie, he's been in some massive shows, from "SEAL Team" to "The Expanse," but today he stars as one of the funniest characters in HBO's "Barry." Irby plays mobster Cristobal Sifuentes, a role that gives Irby plenty of chances to stretch his comedic muscles.
The show also puts Irby in good company with comedic legend Henry Winkler starring as acting teacher Gene Cousineau and Bill Hader playing the title character Barry, a hitman dealing with a midlife crisis when he embraces Los Angeles and its acting scene. The role seems like a surprise considering Irby's other work in TV, but according to him, it was a long time coming.
Irby was mostly a comedic actor back in school, as he explained in a 2019 interview with Complex. With his comedy skills not getting much play over the years professionally, he says he jumped at the chance to be in "Barry," not even knowing if the part would continue beyond Season 1. Irby's Sifuentes is currently a main ingredient to the show in Season 3, and it's hard to imagine the series without him.
Michael Irby also stars in Mayans M.C.
Irby has come a long way since "Law Abiding Citizen," as today he stars in not one, but two critically acclaimed hit shows. On top of his growing work in "Barry," Irby is also part of the main cast of FX's "Mayans M.C." The "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff is currently airing Season 4, and Irby plays one of its most complex characters, Obispo "Bishop" Losa. Bishop may be on the wrong side of the law like Sifuentes, but "Mayans M.C." calls upon Irby to bring out his more dramatic talents with Bishop going to some fairly extreme emotional corners over the course of the series.
Bishop loses his title of vice president of Mayans Motorcycle Club and is still dealing with the fallout of being embroiled in a civil war. Plus, he's got a bit of a temper, even for a biker. Bishop's continuous struggles make him one of the show's most engaging characters and Irby a standout in the cast. The actor is clearly proud of "Mayans M.C." and promotes it frequently on social media. Much like his "Barry" gig, Irby says he jumped at the chance to be in the series, feeling no hesitation despite the massive shadow hanging over the show that is "Sons of Anarchy" (via Collider).
Irby loves to golf with a Mayans M.C. costar
When Irby isn't busy pushing people to the edges of their seats with "Mayans M.C." or making them laugh in "Barry," he's out golfing, at least according to his Instagram. Irby isn't the only "Mayans M.C." cast member who lets loose on the green either, as Emilio Rivera is often with him. Rivera stars as Marcus Álvarez, the cousin of Bishop and a Mayans leader first introduced in "Sons of Anarchy."
The two cousins often butt heads (Álvarez gives away Bishop's vice president title after a fiery argument), which is why fans of the show will likely get a kick out of seeing how relaxed the two are together under the sun and holding their clubs. The duo appears to have a lot of fun with the night and day relationships between them and their characters.
One recent photo on Instagram taken near a pond included the two actors, and Rivera commented, referring to his costar as his primo. "Is that the pond you landed in Primo?" the actor wrote. "Ha! I think it is. Fore!!!" Irby responded. It's the type of lighthearted teasing that wouldn't come easily for Álvarez and Bishop, but the actors who play the characters are a different story.