American Chopper Stars Before The Fame

Michael Teutul was a self-described "weird kid" growing up and always felt out of place. When he was 12, he started working for OC Ironworks, following in his brother's footsteps. In an interview with Jim Benson of TV Time Machine, Teutul indicated that the kind of work at OC Ironworks wasn't really for him, saying, "I just never took to it, I couldn't take it. ... I think ironwork is one of those things that's either in your blood or it's not." He further described himself as a "wimp" and as being "far too soft" for the roughness of the steel business. Instead, he wanted to get a spot on "Saturday Night Live" and pursue a career in comedy, with dreams of doing stand-up and other comedic ventures in his sights.

When Teutul was 20, he moved to Tempe, Arizona, with a school friend for a change of lifestyle and environment, per TV Time Machine. This was short-lived, however, and when Teutul moved back to New York, he went straight to work at OC Ironworks. Seeing that he wasn't a particularly good fit at the job, Paul Teutul Sr. offered him a secretary position, handling paperwork and general office functions at OC Choppers, and that is the "Mikey" we grew to know on screen. As of 2022, Teutul is mainly out of the spotlight, but does appear on his dad's Instagram from time to time.

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