Michael Niavarani was born in Vienna on April 29 1968. Already acting on stage as a teenager, he became a member of the Graumann theatre group in 1986. After completing his professional training and appearing in numerous plays, he moved on to the Viennese cabaret "Simpl" in 1989. Since 1993, he is also the artistic director of the venue.

From the mid-1990s on, Niavarani regularly appeared in various Austrian TV shows and comedy series. He went on to star in successful formats like "Novotny & Maroudi" and "Ex – Eine romantische Komödie", which he created and also worked on as writer, director and producer. Michael Niavarani was named Austria's most popular TV actor (2006) and most popular comedian (2007 and 2008), and his stage programs have garnered numerous awards.

In addition to his stage and TV career, Niavarani also moonlighted in feature-length TV productions like "Erbin mit Herz" (2004) and "Schön, dass es dich gibt" (2005). He also played supporting roles in the theatrical releases "I Love Vienna" (1991), "Wanted" (1999) and "Salami Aleikum" (2009). In 2014, Michael Niavarani starred opposite Christoph Maria Herbst in the thriller spoof "Die Mamba", playing a guileless man who is mistaken for an international terrorist.