Michael Emerson Contents Early life Career Personal life Filmography Theater Other work Awards References External links Navigation menu"Alumnus Michael Emerson wins Emmy Award for work in 'Lost'""Interview with Actor Michael Emerson"Michael Emerson profileProfile"Theatre"the original"Ben Linus: Played by Michael Emerson"the original"Primetime Emmy Nominations for 2009""Primetime Emmy Award Database""Prime-time stars chip in for Charleston Stage fundraiser""Lost's Michael Emerson Reunites With J.J. Abrams In CBS Pilot Person Of Interest""Ben Linus Wants A True Blood Cameo""If he can make it there...""Theatre Jacksonville, season 67""Letters to the Editor, "Cheers for Michael"""Emerson's career took him through Montgomery""Primetime Emmy® Award Database""HFPA - Nominations and Winners"the originalMichael EmersonMichael EmersonMichael EmersonOfficial websiteMeet Michael Emerson"Michael Emerson: 'I've always liked playing ambiguity.'""Michael Emerson Reflects on Lost , Looks Ahead to the Finale"eeeXX4773196cb16707134g(data)11449117290000 0001 1576 7149nr2005030504xx00647128572061485720614
1954 births20th-century American male actors21st-century American male actorsAmerican male film actorsAmerican male stage actorsAmerican male Shakespearean actorsAmerican male television actorsAudiobook narratorsDrake University alumniOutstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winnersLiving peopleMale actors from IowaActors from Cedar Rapids, IowaPeople from Toledo, Iowa
serial killerBenjamin LinusZep HindleHarold FinchCBSPrimetime Emmy AwardsCedar RapidsIowaToledo, IowaDrake UniversityDes Moines, IowaNational Theater Institute at The Eugene O'Neill Theater CenterNew York CityJacksonville, FloridaFlagler CollegeUniversity of AlabamaAlabama Shakespeare FestivalOscar WildeMoises KaufmanUma ThurmanKate BurtonEmmy Awardserial killerBenjamin Linusserial dramaSeason 3Emmy AwardA.R. GurneyPulitzer Prize for DramaTerry O'QuinnJ. J. AbramsCBSCIANew York CityCarrie PrestonThe Man Behind the CurtainActors FundBroadway CaresOff-Off Broadwaypublicly supportedHabitat for HumanityPrimetime Emmy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsSaturn Awards
Michael Emerson | |
---|---|
Emerson at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con | |
Born | (1954-09-07) September 7, 1954 Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Drake University (BA, Theater Arts, 1976) University of Alabama (MFA, 1995)[1] |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1986–present |
Spouse(s) | [First wife] (divorced)[2] Carrie Preston (m. 1998) [2] |
Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954)[3] is an American film and television actor who is best known for his roles as serial killer William Hinks on The Practice, Benjamin Linus on Lost, Zep Hindle in the first Saw film, and Harold Finch on the CBS series Person of Interest. Emerson has also worked extensively in theater and narration. He has won two Primetime Emmy Awards and been nominated for three others, as well as receiving other awards and nominations.
Contents
1 Early life
2 Career
3 Personal life
4 Filmography
4.1 Film
4.2 Television
4.3 Video games
5 Theater
6 Other work
7 Awards
8 References
9 External links
Early life
Emerson was born in Cedar Rapids,[2]Iowa, to Carol (née Hansen) and Ronald H. Emerson.[4] He grew up in Toledo, Iowa, where he attended South Tama County High School and was a member of its marching band.[2]
He graduated in 1976 from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he majored in Theater[5] and a minored in Art.[6] He studied a semester at the National Theater Institute at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center,[citation needed] then moved to New York City. Unable to find acting work, he took retail jobs and worked as an illustrator.[2][7][6] In 1986, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where (from 1986–93) he appeared in local productions at Theater Jacksonville and The Players by the Sea and worked as a director and teacher[6] at Flagler College.[citation needed] After several years of differing kinds of work including illustration and teaching,[6] Emerson earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Alabama in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival acting program.[1]
Career
Upon graduation from the University of Alabama in 1995, Emerson returned to New York City, where he appeared in the annual Alabama Shakespeare Festival showcase.[citation needed]
Emerson landed a starring role in 1997 as Oscar Wilde in Moises Kaufman's critically acclaimed off-Broadway play Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, and then followed up with several other notable stage performances. In 1998, he performed opposite Uma Thurman in an off-Broadway production of Le Misanthrope. In 1999, he played the role of Willie Oban in The Iceman Cometh. He co-starred with Kate Burton in both Give Me Your Answer, Do! and Hedda Gabler.[citation needed]
In September 2001, Emerson won an Emmy Award as "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series", for playing serial killer William Hinks in several episodes of The Practice. In 2006, Emerson began a guest-star role as Benjamin Linus on the serial drama television series Lost.[8] Emerson was originally set to appear in a small number of episodes, then returned for Season 3 as a main cast member and eventually became a main antagonist of the program. He received an Emmy Award nomination in the "Outstanding Supporting Actor" category in 2007 and 2008 for his work in the third and fourth seasons, respectively. He finally won the award in 2009 after being nominated for his role in the fifth season.[9]
Emerson was nominated in 2009 for a Golden Globe in the "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" category. He was nominated for an Emmy for each season in which he was listed in the main cast.[10]
On July 31, 2010, Emerson and Preston read A.R. Gurney's Love Letters, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, at the Charleston Stage. They performed it as a fundraiser for the Stage, a South Carolina theatre. The reading was followed by a brief and intimate Question and Answer session.[11]
Emerson was set to reunite with former Lost cast member and friend Terry O'Quinn, in a comedy-drama tentatively titled Odd Jobs, by J. J. Abrams. It was expected to start filming by the end of 2010, but further development of the show has been postponed. Emerson joined the cast of another Abrams series, Person of Interest, that debuted in September 2011 on CBS. He played a billionaire who teams up with a supposedly dead CIA agent to fight crime in New York City.[12]
Personal life
Emerson is married to actress Carrie Preston.[2] Emerson met Preston while he was performing in a stage production of Hamlet in Alabama.[2][7] They married in September 1998, and both Emerson and his wife starred in Straight-Jacket (2004). Preston portrayed Emily Linus (the mother of Emerson's character's) on Lost in the flashback sequences of the episode "The Man Behind the Curtain".[8] The two teamed up again, with Emerson portraying Preston's next-door neighbor, in the film Ready? OK! (2008).[13] Preston also appeared in several episodes of Person of Interest as Grace Hendricks (the former fiancée of Emerson's character).
He was previously married, and the couple resided in Florida before divorcing.[2]
Emerson is a long-time supporter of the charities connected to the theatre community, including the Actors Fund, Broadway Cares, and Off-Off Broadway, in addition to publicly supported radio stations and Habitat for Humanity.[3][6]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | The Journey | Michael | |
1998 | The Impostors | Burtom's Assistant | |
Playing by Heart | Bosco | ||
1999 | I'll Take You There | Tom | |
For Love of the Game | Gallery Doorman | ||
2002 | The Laramie Project | Reverend | |
Unfaithful | Josh | ||
2004 | Saw | Zep Hindle | |
Straight-Jacket | Victor | ||
2005 | Saw II | Zep Hindle | Uncredited; archive sound |
29th and Gay | Gorilla | ||
The Legend of Zorro | Harrigan | ||
2006 | Saw III | Zep Hindle | Uncredited; archive footage |
Jumping Off Bridges | Frank Nelson | ||
2008 | Ready? OK! | Charlie New | |
2010 | Saw 3D | Zep Hindle | Uncredited; archive footage |
Goldstar, Ohio | Steve Harper | ||
2012 | Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 | The Joker (voice) | Straight-to-Video |
2013 | Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 | Straight-to-Video |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Orpheus Descending | Clown | Television movie |
1998 | Grace & Glorie | Arnold Dudley | Television movie |
1999 | Stark Raving Mad | Mr. Putnam | Episode: "The Psychic" |
2000 | The District | Man in Bar | Episode: "Pilot" |
2000–2001 | The Practice | William Hinks | 6 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
2001 | The Education of Max Bickford | Unknown | Episode: "Herding Carts" |
Sounds from a Town I Love | Unknown | Television movie | |
2002 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Gerry Rankin | Episode: "Phantom" |
The X-Files | Oliver Martin | Episode: "Sunshine Days" | |
2003 | Without a Trace | Stuart Wesmar | Episode: "Victory for Humanity" |
Skin | Scarpelli | Episode: "Secrets & Lies" | |
Whoopi | F. Thomas Erickson | Episode: "The Fat and the Frivolous" | |
2004 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Allan Shaye | Episode: "Ritual" |
2005 | The Inside | Marty Manning | Episode: "Pre-Filer" |
2006–2010 | Lost | Ben Linus | Main role, 79 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2007–08, 2010) Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2006–07) Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television (2007, 2009–11) Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Villain |
2007 | Lost: Missing Pieces | Ben Linus | 2 episodes |
2010 | Front Line | John Winthrop | Episode: "God In America" |
2011 | Parenthood | Andy Fitzgerald | Episode: "Amazing Andy and His Wonderful World of Bugs" |
G.I. Joe: Renegades | Doctor Venom | Episode: "The Anaconda Strain" | |
Generator Rex | Alpha Nanite | Episode: "Ben 10/Generator Rex Heroes United" | |
2011–2016 | Person of Interest | Harold Finch | Main role, 103 episodes |
2014 | The Mystery of Matter: Search for the Elements | Narrator | 3 episodes |
2017 | Arrow | Cayden James | 7 episodes |
Claws | Ted | Episode: "Ambrosia" | |
2018 | Mozart in the Jungle | 2 episodes | |
2019 | The Name of the Rose | The Abbot | 8 episodes |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Lost: Via Domus | Ben Linus (voice) |
Theater
Othello, University of North Florida[14]
Noises Off (as Gary), Theatre Jacksonville,[14] 1986 or 1987[15]
Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare at the Met, 1987
Hamlet (as Hamlet), University of North Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, Florida, 1987
Hamlet (as Hamlet), Players-By-The-Sea Theatre, Jacksonville Beach, Florida[16]
The Importance of Being Earnest, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 1990
Parts Unknown, Players-By-The-Sea Theatre, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, 1993
The Tempest (as Ferdinand), Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995[17]
The Way of the World (as Lady Wishfort), Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995[17]
Hamlet (as Rosencrantz), Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995[17]
All's Well That Ends Well, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995[17]
Henry IV, Part 1, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995[17]
A Christmas Carol, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995[17]
The Crucible, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995[17]
Amadeus, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 1995
Androcles and the Lion, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1995 or 1996[17]
Gross Indecency: The Trials of Oscar Wilde (as Oscar Wilde), Minetta Lane Theatre, off-Broadway, 1997–1998
The Misanthrope, Classic Stage Company, 1998
The Iceman Cometh (as Willie Oban), Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 1999
Give Me Your Answer, Do! (as David Knight), Gramercy Theatre, off-Broadway, 1999–2000
Hedda Gabler (as George Tesman), Williamstown Theatre Festival, Main Stage, 2000
Hedda Gabler (as George Tesman), Ambassador Theatre, Broadway, 2001–2002
Only the End of the World (as Louis), Theatre 3, off-Broadway, 2002
Frequency Hopping (as George Antheil), Hourglass Group, 2002
Tartuffe (as Cleante), American Airlines Theatre, Broadway, 2003
Measure for Measure (as Duke Vincentio), California Shakespeare Theater, Orinda, California, 2003
Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts, 2004
Hamlet (as Ghost, Claudius, Osric, and Guildenstern), McCarter Theatre Center, Princeton, New Jersey, 2005
Bach at Leipzig (as Schott), New York Theatre Workshop, 2005
Likeness, Primary Stages Theater (307 W. 38th Street), 2008
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (as Alexander), Chautauqua Theater Company, 2008
Love Letters (as Andrew Makepeace Ladd, III), Charleston Stage, 2010
Wakey, Wakey (play by Will Eno) Signature Theatre (as Guy), 2017
Other work
- In 2000, played the unnamed narrator character in the radio play adaptation of the Neil Gaiman short story, Murder Mysteries.
- In 2001, participated in a Woody Allen short called "Sounds From a Town I Love" which aired on television during The Concert for New York City and depicts people talking on their cellphones as they walk around New York City.
- In 2003, participated in a staged reading of a play involving string theory written by Jacquelyn Reingold called String Fever at Rockefeller University.
- In 2003, was the voice of George Washington in Favorite Son, an experimental documentary film about the relationship between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.
- In 2005, narrated audio book CD of Robert Penn Warren's novel All the King's Men.
- In 2006, narrated audio book CD of The Amalgamation Polka by Stephen Wright, published.
- In 2007, with other Lost cast members, he participated in a play-reading session at the Tenney Theatre in Hawaii to raise money for the Honolulu Theatre for Youth.
- In 2009, narrated a reading of "Babar the Elephant" with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra.
- Co-narrated with Peter J. Fernandez, the audio book version of James Patterson's novel, Four Blind Mice.
- Co-narrated with John Rubinstein the audio book of the novel Private Sector by Brian Haig.
- Narrated the Neil Gaiman American Gods novella The Monarch of the Glen (from Fragile Things) in volume III of an audio book series called "Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy".[citation needed]
Awards
Primetime Emmy Awards:
Won - 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series) for playing "William Hinks" on The Practice, 2001.[18]- Nominated - 59th Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series) for portraying Ben Linus on Lost, 2007.[18]
- Nominated - 60th Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series) for portraying Ben Linus on Lost, 2008.[18]
Won - 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series) for portraying Ben Linus on Lost, 2009.[18]- Nominated - 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series) for portraying Ben Linus on Lost, 2010.[18]
Golden Globe Awards:
- Nominated - 67th Golden Globe Awards (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television) for portraying Ben Linus on LOST, 2010.[19]
Saturn Awards:
Won - 34th Saturn Awards (Best Supporting Television Actor) for portraying Ben Linus on Lost, 2008.- Nominated - 35th Saturn Awards (Best Supporting Television Actor) for portraying Ben Linus on Lost, 2009.
- Nominated - 36th Saturn Awards (Best Supporting Television Actor) for portraying Ben Linus on Lost, 2010.
- Nominated - 37th Saturn Awards (Best Supporting Television Actor) for portraying Ben Linus on Lost, 2011.
References
^ ab "Alumnus Michael Emerson wins Emmy Award for work in 'Lost'". news.drake.edu. Drake University. October 5, 2009..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ abcdefgh Michael, Emerson (2012). "Interview with Actor Michael Emerson". StatedMag.com. Interviewed by Jimmy Aquino. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
^ ab Michael Emerson profile, michaelemerson.net; accessed December 1, 2014.
^ Profile, tamatoledonews.com; accessed December 1, 2014.
^ "Theatre". drake.edu. Drake University. Archived from the original on May 6, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
^ abcde "Ben Linus: Played by Michael Emerson". abc.go.com. American Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
^ ab Emerson, Michael (March 8, 2007). "[Untitled]". The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet (Interview).
^ ab Audio commentary for "The Man Behind the Curtain", Season 3 DVD set of Lost.
^ "Primetime Emmy Nominations for 2009". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
^ "Primetime Emmy Award Database". Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
^ Jackson, Erica (2010-08-03). "Prime-time stars chip in for Charleston Stage fundraiser". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (2010-02-16). "Lost's Michael Emerson Reunites With J.J. Abrams In CBS Pilot Person Of Interest". tvline.com. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
^ "Ben Linus Wants A True Blood Cameo". io9.com. 2009-03-18. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
^ ab Charlie Patton (1999-05-16). "If he can make it there..." The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
^ "Theatre Jacksonville, season 67". Theatre Jacksonville. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
^ "Letters to the Editor, "Cheers for Michael"". First Coast Community. 1999-06-12. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
^ abcdefgh "Emerson's career took him through Montgomery". The Anniston Star. 2008-01-31. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
^ abcde "Primetime Emmy® Award Database". Emmys.com. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
^ "HFPA - Nominations and Winners". Goldenglobes.org. Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Emerson. |
Michael Emerson on IMDb
Michael Emerson at the Internet Broadway Database
Michael Emerson at the Internet Off-Broadway Database- Official website
Meet Michael Emerson; an unofficial fansite; accessed December 2, 2014.- Errico, Mike (October 2006). "Michael Emerson: 'I've always liked playing ambiguity.'". Blender.
- Chattman, Jon (May 3, 2010). "Michael Emerson Reflects on Lost , Looks Ahead to the Finale". HuffPost.