Michael Emerson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Emerson
Emerson at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1954-09-07) September 7, 1954 (age 70) Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.
Education	Drake University (BA) University of Alabama (MFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Carrie Preston ​ (m. 1998)​

Michael Emerson is an American actor famous for his roles in popular TV shows. He played Benjamin Linus in the mystery series Lost (2006–2010) and Harold Finch in the crime drama Person of Interest (2011–2016). He also appeared as Zep Hindle in the horror film Saw (2004) and Dr. Leland Townsend in the thriller series Evil (2019–2024).

Emerson has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, which are big awards for TV actors. One was for his role as William Hinks on The Practice (2000–2001). The second was for his part in Lost, where he was also nominated three other times. He has also performed a lot in theatre. He played Oscar Wilde in the play Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde (1997–1998). He also appeared in the Broadway play The Iceman Cometh in 1999.

Early Life and Education

Michael Emerson was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His parents are Carol and Ronald H. Emerson. He grew up in Toledo, Iowa, and was part of his high school's marching band.

In 1976, he graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He studied theater and also art there. He then spent a semester at the National Theater Institute. After that, he moved to New York City. He found it hard to get acting jobs, so he worked in stores and as an illustrator.

In 1986, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida. For seven years, until 1993, he acted in local plays. He also directed and taught at Flagler College. Later, Emerson earned a special degree called a Master of Fine Arts. He got this from the University of Alabama through their acting program.

Acting Career Highlights

In 1997, Emerson got a big role as Oscar Wilde in an off-Broadway play. This play, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, was highly praised. After this, he performed in several other important stage shows. In 1998, he acted with Uma Thurman in a play called Le Misanthrope. In 1999, he played Willie Oban in The Iceman Cometh. He also acted alongside Kate Burton in two plays: Give Me Your Answer, Do! and Hedda Gabler.

Michael Emerson filming Person of Interest in New York City

In 2006, Emerson started a guest role as Benjamin Linus on the TV show Lost. He was only supposed to be in a few episodes. But his character was so popular that he became a main cast member in Season 3. His character became a major villain on the show. He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2007 and 2008 for his acting in Lost. He won the award in 2009.

Emerson was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2009 for his supporting role. He received an Emmy nomination for every season he was a main actor on Lost.

In 2010, Emerson and his wife, Carrie Preston, read a play called Love Letters. They did this to raise money for a theater in Charleston.

Emerson later joined another TV series by J. J. Abrams, the creator of Lost. This show was Person of Interest, which started in September 2011 on CBS. In this show, he played a very rich man named Harold Finch. His character teams up with a former CIA agent to fight crime in New York City.

Personal Life and Interests

Michael Emerson married actress Carrie Preston in 1998. They got married in her hometown of Macon, Georgia. They first met when he was acting in a play called Hamlet in Alabama. This is his second marriage.

Michael and Carrie have worked together on screen too. They both appeared in the movie Straight-Jacket (2004). Carrie Preston also played Emily Linus, the mother of Michael's character, in a flashback on Lost. They teamed up again in the film Ready? OK! (2008). Carrie also played Grace Hendricks, the former fiancée of Emerson's character, in several episodes of Person of Interest. In 2024, Emerson appeared with Preston again in her TV series Elsbeth.

Emerson supports many charities that help the theater community. These include the Actors Fund and Broadway Cares. He also supports publicly supported radio stations and Habitat for Humanity, which helps build homes.

Film Roles

Television Appearances

Video Game Roles

Theater Performances

• Othello, University of North Florida
• Noises Off (as Garry), Theatre Jacksonville, 1986 or 1987
• Hamlet (as Hamlet), University of North Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, Florida, 1987
• Hamlet (as Hamlet), Players-By-The-Sea Theatre, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
• 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
• The Way of the World (as Lady Wishfort), Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995
• Hamlet (as Rosencrantz), Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995
• All's Well That Ends Well, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995
• Henry IV, Part 1, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995
• A Christmas Carol, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995
• The Crucible, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1994 or 1995
• Androcles and the Lion, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1995 or 1996
• Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde (as Oscar Wilde), Minetta Lane Theatre, off-Broadway, 1997–1998
• 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
• 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 Projects

• In 2000, he was the narrator for a radio play based on a short story by Neil Gaiman called Murder Mysteries.
• In 2003, he took part in a reading of a play about string theory at Rockefeller University.
• In 2003, he was the voice of George Washington in a documentary film called Favorite Son.
• In 2005, he narrated the audio book of Robert Penn Warren's novel All the King's Men.
• In 2006, he narrated the audio book The Amalgamation Polka by Stephen Wright.
• In 2007, he and other Lost actors read a play in Hawaii to raise money for a youth theater.
• In 2009, he narrated a reading of "Babar the Elephant" with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra.
• He co-narrated the audio book of James Patterson's novel, Four Blind Mice.
• He also co-narrated the audio book of the novel Private Sector by Brian Haig.
• In 2010, he narrated the Lemony Snicket audio book 13 Words by Maria Kalman.

See also

In Spanish: Michael Emerson para niños