Michael Emerson | |
|---|---|
 Emerson at the 2013San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | (1954-09-07)September 7, 1954 (age 71) Cedar Rapids,Iowa, U.S. |
| Education | Drake University (BA) University of Alabama (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse | |
Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles asBenjamin Linus onLost (2006–2010) and as Harold Finch in theCBS seriesPerson of Interest (2011–2016). Other prominent roles includeZep Hindle in thehorror filmSaw (2004) and as Dr. Leland Townsend in theParamount+ thriller seriesEvil (2019–2024).
He has won twoPrimetime Emmy Awards, oneGuest Actor in a Drama Series award for portraying William Hinks onThe Practice (2000–2001), and the second aSupporting Actor in a Drama Series award for his role inLost, for which he also received three other Primetime Emmy nominations. Emerson has also worked extensively in theatre, notably originating the role ofOscar Wilde inGross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde from 1997 to 1998, portraying Willie Oban in the 1999Broadway revival ofThe Iceman Cometh, and playing Guy in the debut production ofWill Eno'sWakey, Wakey in 2017.
Emerson was born inCedar Rapids,[1]Iowa, to Carol (née Hansen) and Ronald H. Emerson.[2] He grew up inToledo, Iowa, where he was a member of his high school marching band.[1]
He graduated in 1976 fromDrake University inDes Moines, Iowa, where he majored in theater[3] and minored in art.[4] He studied for a semester at theNational Theater Institute at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center,[citation needed] then moved toNew York City. Unable to find acting work, he took retail jobs and worked as an illustrator.[1][4][5]
In 1986, he moved toJacksonville, Florida, where until 1993 he appeared in local productions at Theater Jacksonville and The Players by the Sea and worked as a director and teacher[4] atFlagler College.[6]
After several years of work including illustration and teaching,[4] Emerson earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at theUniversity of Alabama in theAlabama Shakespeare Festival acting program.[7]
Emerson once directed a music video for Soul Guardians in 1989.[8]
Emerson landed a starring role in 1997 asOscar Wilde inMoises Kaufman's critically acclaimed off-Broadway playGross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, and then followed up with several other notable stage performances. In 1998, he performed oppositeUma Thurman in an off-Broadway production ofLe Misanthrope. In 1999, he played Willie Oban inThe Iceman Cometh. He co-starred withKate Burton in bothGive Me Your Answer, Do! andHedda Gabler.[9]
In September 2001, Emerson won anEmmy Award as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for playingserial killer William Hinks in several episodes ofThe Practice. In 2006, Emerson began a guest star role asBenjamin Linus on theserial drama television seriesLost.[10] Emerson was originally set to appear in a small number of episodes, but returned forSeason 3 as a main cast member and eventually became a leading character. He received anEmmy Award nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category in 2007 and 2008 for his work in the third and fourth seasons. He won the award in 2009 after being nominated for his role in the fifth season.[11]
Emerson was nominated in 2009 for a Golden Globe Award 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.[12]
On July 31, 2010, Emerson and Preston readA.R. Gurney'sLove Letters, which was a 1990 finalist for thePulitzer Prize for Drama, at the Charleston Stage as a fundraiser for the theater.[13]
Emerson was set to reunite with formerLost cast member and friendTerry O'Quinn in a comedy-drama, tentatively titledOdd Jobs, byJ. J. Abrams. It was expected to start filming by the end of 2010, but further development has been postponed. Emerson joined the cast of another Abrams series,Person of Interest, that debuted in September 2011 onCBS. He played a billionaire who teams up with a supposedly deadCIA agent to fight crime inNew York City.[14] His most recent role is in theAmazon Prime seriesFallout.
Emerson married actressCarrie Preston in 1998 in her hometown ofMacon, Georgia.[15] They met while he was performing in a stage production ofHamlet in Alabama.[1][5] It is his second marriage.[1] The two later starred together inStraight-Jacket (2004). Preston portrayed Emily Linus (the mother of Emerson's character) onLost in the flashback sequences of the episode "The Man Behind the Curtain".[10] The two teamed up again, with Emerson portraying Preston's next-door neighbor, in the filmReady? OK! (2008).[16] Preston also appeared in several episodes ofPerson of Interest as Grace Hendricks, the former fiancée of Emerson's character. In 2024, Emerson appeared alongside Preston inElsbeth where Preston stars in the title role.[17]
Emerson supports charities connected to the theater community, including theActors Fund,Broadway Cares, andOff-Off Broadway, in addition topublicly supported radio stations andHabitat for Humanity.[4]
| 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 | ||
| 2001 | Sounds from a Town I Love | Man | Short film |
| 2002 | The Laramie Project | Reverend | |
| Unfaithful | Josh | ||
| 2004 | Saw | Zep Hindle | |
| Straight-Jacket | Victor | ||
| 2005 | 29th and Gay | Gorilla | |
| The Legend of Zorro | Harrigan | ||
| 2006 | Jumping Off Bridges | Frank Nelson | |
| 2008 | Ready? OK! | Charlie New | |
| 2010 | Goldstar, Ohio | Steve Harper | |
| 2012 | Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 | The Joker | Voice, direct-to-video[18] |
| 2013 | Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 | ||
| 2024 | Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps | Evil Wizard | [19] |
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Lost: Via Domus | Ben Linus |
| 2020 | Crucible | Brother |
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