Michael Emerson has recently emerged in the past decade as a name to remember.
His incredible performances and unbelievable portrayals proved his skills as an actor, be it as a serial killer or a musical actor on Broadway.
Find out where this impressive actor started out and how he gained the success he has today!
Michael Emerson is 71 years old. He was born on September 7, 1954, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
However, he grew up in Toledo, Iowa. While he was in high school there, he was a member of the marching band.
Emerson is of relatively average height, standing at just 5’6 feet tall (173 centimeters).
He is of German, Irish, and English descent on his father’s side, and Norwegian and Czech on his mother’s side.
Michael Emerson attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
He graduated from Drake in 1976 with a major in Theater and a minor in Art.
After studying for one semester at the National Theater Institute, Emerson moved to New York City.
After moving, he was unable to find acting work so he took on retail jobs. Additionally, he began working as an illustrator.
Michael Emerson moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1986. While there, he acted in local productions at Theater Jacksonville.
In Jacksonville, he also worked as a director and teacher at Flagler College, a four-year liberal arts college.
Emerson eventually earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Alabama after a few years of work, including illustration and teaching.
Overall, Emerson has worked as a carpenter, landscaper, illustrator, teacher, and director.
It wasn’t until he was 32 years old that Emerson started acting professionally.
Emerson’s breakthrough movie role was as Zep Hindle in the popular 2004 horror movie Saw.
When he was cast for the major television show, Lost, he was only intended to be on for three episodes. However, the producers were so impressed with him, that they promoted him to a series regular.
Even though he has since been incredibly successful on television, he says that acting on Broadway in classic plays has been one of his greatest dreams fulfilled.
Michael Emerson won his first Emmy Award in September 2001 for “Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series,” for playing a serial killer in multiple episodes of The Practice.
Emerson married his wife, Carrie Preston, in 1998. They met while Emerson was working on a stage production of Hamlet in Alabama.
Interestingly enough, his wife has acted with him in a few TV shows. She portrayed Emily Linus (Emerson’s characters’ mother) in Lost, as well as acting as his fiancée for Emerson’s character in Person of Interest.
On his off days of acting, Emerson’s hobbies include reading Shakespeare, going to Dodger’s baseball games, or spending time with his dog Chumley.
