Born to a Jewish family in New York City, Grodénchik worked in theater during the 1980s as Michael Grodénchik, where his performances received notice. Of his 1980 performance in John O'Keefe's All Night Long, Sarasota Herald-Tribune art reviewer Marcia Corbino wrote that Grodénchik was an intriguing actor who had "an enchanting, mobile comic face on which aberrant emotions flicker, spread, retreat, retrench and explode with a single instant."
Grodénchik is better known for his portrayal of the fictional character Rom on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He had previously auditioned for the role of Rom's brother Quark, but the role was given to Armin Shimerman. The two both guest-appeared on opposite teams in the short lived British Sci-Fi Quiz show Space Cadets, in 1997.
In Spring 2007, Grodénchik attended the annual Vulcan Spockdays ceremony.
Grodénchik's brother Barry Grodenchik is a former New York State Assemblyman and Deputy Borough President of Queens. In December 2015, Barry was inaugurated to the New York City Council, representing District 23.
