Michael Urie shocks fans with past role before hitting TV screens

Michael Urie revealed a surprising chapter from his life before he became famous on Ugly Betty. 

The actor admitted he once worked as a medical marijuana tester after spotting an unusual job ad in the Village Voice magazine two decades ago.

Urie, best known for playing Marc St. James in the hit dramedy, said he applied for the role with his roommate. While his friend was turned away because of health concerns, 

Speaking on Chelsea Handler’s Dear Chelsea podcast, he recalled, “It was in the Village Voice, and it was a joke. We would always joke about it like, you know, they have these ads in the Village Voice, are they real? And I just answered one.”

The actor described the experience as “wild,' as he explained that the testing was a double blind study, so neither he nor the person administering the strains knew the strength. 

Some days he was given a placebo, while other times he was left “high as f***” and “paranoid.” He remembered feeling so stoned that he rolled around the hospital room, convinced the tests were not really blind.

However, the Shrinking star said the trials included computer based cognitive tests, where he had to quickly identify shapes and patterns. His performance depended on how strong the strain was on each visit.

Reflecting on marijuana today, Urie admitted it even helped with his acting process. He shared that he sometimes learned lines while high. Though he struggled to recite them in the moment, the words came back easily once he was sober.