Shea Whigham | |
|---|---|
 Whigham in 2018 | |
| Born | (1969-01-05)January 5, 1969 (age 56) Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. |
| Education | Tyler Junior College State University of New York, Purchase (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, includingGiorgia Whigham |
Shea Whigham (born January 5, 1969)[1] is an American actor best known for portrayingElias "Eli" Thompson in the drama seriesBoardwalk Empire. He also appeared in thefirst season ofTrue Detective and thethird season ofFargo and in numerous films, includingSilver Linings Playbook,The Wolf of Wall Street, andJoker.
Whigham was born inTallahassee, Florida, the son of attorney Frank and school librarian Beth. The family moved toLake Mary, Florida, when Whigham was five years old.[2][3] He attendedLake Mary High School.[4]
Whigham attendedTyler Junior College inTyler, Texas, and then transferred to theState University of New York atPurchase, New York, where he was part of a small acting program with only 31 students and a graduating class of eight seniors.[5]
After graduating, Whigham co-founded the theatre troupe the Rorschach Group with his college roommateKirk Acevedo inNew York City and served as an actor and artistic director with the troupe for three years.[6]
Whigham appeared in one 1997 episode of the television seriesGhost Stories before he received a starring role in the 2000 filmTigerland.[5] He went on to appear in the television filmsSubmerged,R.U.S./H., andParadise before acting in the 2003 filmAll the Real Girls.[2] Between 2004 and 2006, he appeared in the Japanese filmOut of This World, the drama television seriesMedical Investigation, and the filmsWater,Man of the House,Faith of My Fathers,Lords of Dogtown,Psychic Driving, andSouth of Heaven.
Whigham appeared inPride and Glory and co-starred in the horror filmSplinter, the thrillerBlood Creek, and the science fiction filmRadio Free Albemuth.[3]
He had a regular leading role on theHBO seriesBoardwalk Empire asElias "Eli" Thompson, sheriff ofAtlantic County, New Jersey, for the show's entire run. In 2014, he appeared in the HBO seriesTrue Detective as the disillusioned former minister Joel Theriot.[7] He appeared in two[a] episodes of FX'sJustified in 2015.
Between 2012 and 2017, he had several movie roles, such asThe Wolf of Wall Street,American Hustle,Silver Linings Playbook,Term Life, andKong: Skull Island. In 2018, he appeared in the filmsSicario: Day of the Soldado,First Man, andBad Times at the El Royale. In 2019, he appeared in the Warner Bros./DC Comics psychological thrillerJoker as GCPD Detective Burke. He also appeared in both seasons of HBO'sVice Principals as Ray Liptrapp; appeared inFargo and the miniseriesWaco; and he starred in the television seriesHomecoming alongsideJulia Roberts for which he was nominated for aCritics' Choice Television Award forBest Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In 2020, he was cast as Pete Strickland on HBO's reimagining ofPerry Mason, a role for which he received attention for his moustache.[9]
He has appeared in several projects alongside actorsMichael Shannon andPaul Sparks, both of whom starred onBoardwalk Empire andWaco. Shannon and Whigham also appeared together inThe Quarry,Take Shelter,Tigerland, andBad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. In October 2025, it was announced that Whigham would be joiningJamie Foxx andAndrés Baiz in theNetflix feature filmFight for '84.[10]
Whigham has four children, including actressGiorgia Whigham, with his wife Christine Whigham.[11]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Ghost Stories | Eric Duke | Episode: "Cold in the Grave" |
| 2001 | Submerged | Captain Oliver Naquin | Television film |
| 2002 | R.U.S./H. | Odell Tippy | Pilot |
| 2004 | Medical Investigation | Barrett Fidler | 2 episodes |
| Paradise | Jeremiah Alcott | Television film | |
| 2005 | Faith of My Fathers | Norris Overly | |
| 2006 | ER | Bobby Kenyon | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | Standoff | Andre / Jared Kendall | Episode: "Ex-Factor" |
| 2009 | Lie to Me | Jered Blunt | Episode: "Life Is Priceless" |
| Numb3rs | Tom Kardum | Episode: "The Fifth Man" | |
| Medium | Patrick Wilkes | Episode: "New Terrain" | |
| 2010–2014 | Boardwalk Empire | Elias 'Eli' Thompson | 49 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series(2011–2012) Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series(2013–2015) |
| 2014 | True Detective | Joel Theriot | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Agent Carter | Roger Dooley | 7 episodes |
| Justified | Merrill | Episode: "Collateral" | |
| 2016–2017 | Vice Principals | Ray Liptrapp | 15 episodes |
| 2017 | The Legend of Master Legend | Peanut-Head | Pilot |
| Fargo | 'Moe' Dammick | 5 episodes | |
| Narcos | Agent Duffy | 2 episodes | |
| 2018 | Waco | Mitch Decker | 6 episodes |
| Homecoming | Thomas Carrasco | 8 episodes Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | |
| Dirty John | William Meehan | Episode: "Lord High Executioner" | |
| 2019 | Modern Love | Peter | 1 episode (Season 1 Episode 6) |
| 2020–2023 | Perry Mason | Pete Strickland | Main role |
| 2022 | Gaslit | G. Gordon Liddy | Limited series Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
| 2023 | Waco: The Aftermath | Mitch Decker | 5 episodes |
| The Righteous Gemstones | Dusty Daniels | 2 episodes | |
| Lawmen: Bass Reeves | Colonel George Reeves | 2 episodes | |
| 2025 | American Primeval | Jim Bridger | 6 episodes |
| Bad Thoughts | PQ | Episode: "Jobs" | |
| Death by Lightning | Roscoe Conkling | 4 episodes | |
| TBA | Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey | Alex Hunter | Upcoming miniseries |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Smuggler's Run | Jon |
Actor Shea Whigham is 53.
