Trautmann was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents, John and Marian, had to compromise on his name. They did this by putting his first initial in front of his official middle name, therefore calling him J. Michael. During his time in school, he was the class clown. In his freshman year of high school, Trautmann was urged to try out for the school's production of Romeo & Juliet. He landed the titular role, which sparked an interest in acting. After graduation, Trautmann attended the University of Arizona and was accepted as a BFA actor in the prestigious Arizona Repertory Theatre. There, he portrayed the role of Eugene Jerome in the Neil Simon Trilogy of Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and Broadway Bound. During his sophomore year in college, Trautmann was spotted performing in an improv comedy troupe by a talent agent and was asked to audition for his first film Earnie. He has started a formal acting career since.