John Wesley Shipp facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Wesley Shipp
Shipp at GalaxyCon Oklahoma City in 2024
Born	(1955-01-22) January 22, 1955 (age 70) Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1980–present

John Wesley Shipp (born January 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is well-known for playing different characters on TV shows. He was the main hero, Barry Allen, in the superhero show The Flash from 1990 to 1991.

He also played Mitch Leery, the father of the main character, on the drama series Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2001. John Wesley Shipp has also been in many daytime soap operas. These include Kelly Nelson on Guiding Light and Douglas Cummings on As the World Turns. He even won an award for his role in As the World Turns.

Later, he returned to the world of The Flash. He played Barry Allen's father, Henry, on the CW's The Flash series. He also played an older version of The Flash, Jay Garrick, from another Earth.

Early life and education

John Wesley Shipp was born in Norfolk, Virginia. His father was a farmer who went back to school when John was young. After studying at a seminary, his father became a pastor at a church near Wake Forest, North Carolina.

John later spoke to a graduating class in 1999. He shared stories about how his father tried to bring people together in their community in the late 1960s. John Wesley Shipp went to Butler Traditional High School in Louisville, Kentucky. After high school, he studied at Indiana University.

Acting career highlights

John Wesley Shipp started his acting journey in daytime soap operas. He played Dr. Kelly Nelson on Guiding Light from 1980 to 1984. After that, he took on other soap opera roles. He played Douglas Cummings on As the World Turns and won his first Daytime Emmy Award in 1986.

He also played Martin Ellis on Santa Barbara and won another Daytime Emmy Award for it. He had small roles in other shows too, like Fantasy Island.

Shipp in 2010, at Florida Supercon

A big role for Shipp was playing Barry Allen / The Flash in the CBS series The Flash. This show was on TV from 1990 to 1991. After that, he had a repeating role as Lucky on the NBC show Sisters.

In 1998, he got the role of Mitch Leery. He was the father of the main character, Dawson, in the popular show Dawson's Creek. He was a main part of the show for its first four seasons.

In 2010, Shipp returned to soap operas for a short time. He played Eddie Ford on One Life to Live. He also appeared in a Lifetime series called Drop Dead Diva. In 2012, he was in three episodes of the MTV series Teen Wolf. He played Mr. Lahey, the father of one of the characters.

Shipp came back to the world of The Flash in 2014. He was cast in a special role on The CW series The Flash. It was later revealed he would play Henry Allen, who is Barry Allen's father. In the second season of The Flash, Shipp also played Jay Garrick. Jay Garrick is another version of The Flash from a different universe. He even voiced Eobard Thawne (Professor Zoom) in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

From 2015 to 2018, Shipp used his voice for a podcast drama called "Powder Burns." He played Sheriff Burns in the show.

Filmography

Film appearances

Television appearances

Awards and recognition

John Wesley Shipp has won several awards for his acting. At the 14th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 1987, he won the Outstanding Guest Performer Award. He was the only actor to win awards two years in a row from different daytime shows.

See also

In Spanish: John Wesley Shipp para niños