Michael

Grew Up... as an ageless angelic being.

Living... in The Good Place, where the most virtuous humans go when they die.

Profession... angelic architect and facilitator. Michael runs one neighborhood within The Good Place, which he can shape however he wants. Mostly that means sunny suburban streets and a whole lot of frozen yogurt places. “People love frozen yogurt,” he explains, “I don’t know what to tell you.” He also welcomes new residents, manages their activities, and tries to make sure everyone is as blissful as possible.

Interests... understanding human culture. Michael is utterly delighted by human beings and their strange way of life. He wants to experience even the most mundane aspects of the human experience, from pulling a hamstring to getting a rewards card to ending a conversation by saying, “Take it sleazy.” Michael doesn’t always understand humans, but that doesn’t mean he’s not delighted by them. For instance, he once cheerily described karaoke as, “There’s no point to it, the images on the screen relate to nothing, some time passed, and then it was over.”

Relationship Status... single. Michael exists on a plane beyond everyone else around him.

Challenge... figuring out why The Good Place is falling apart. Ever since its residents arrived, there’s been trouble in Michael’s neighborhood: Giant shrimp take to the sky, trash storms appear, and sinkholes randomly open up in the middle of the street. So he enlists do-gooder lawyer Eleanor Shellstop to help him investigate. But little does he know that Eleanor is actually the source of the problem. She’s a selfish saleswoman who was mistakenly given the other Eleanor’s spot in The Good Place.  

Personality... inquisitive, chipper, and easily delighted. An eternal optimist, Michael has boundless enthusiasm about the world around him. Even when things go wrong, he never loses his cheerful demeanor. He may look like a well-dressed elder statesmen, but he has the spirit of a curious child.