White was born Michael Richard Jai White in Brooklyn, New York on the 10th of November 1967 and was raised by a single mother following the death of his father in his infancy.
At the young age of 7, White began training in the martial arts, starting off with Jujutsu and then shōtōkan before moving on to other styles. As a teenager, his family moved him from Brooklyn, New York to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he attended Bridgeport Central High School and then Central High School, graduating in 1985.
Michael Jai White then attended Yale University, Brown University, and H.B Studio, where he studied acting. However, before fully going into the profession, White worked as a teacher. He taught emotionally disturbed children for three years before making his acting debut in the film “Toxic Avenger” part 2 in 1989.
His breakthrough role, however, came in 1985 when he was cast to play the role of heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson in the HBO film “Tyson.” Two years later, White was cast as Spawn in the movie of the same name. The role has earned him several award nominations, including a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Male Newcomer. He went on to star alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in “Universal Soldier: The Return” (1999) and then in “Exit Wounds” (2001) opposite fellow martial artist turned actor Steven Seagal.