Shea Whigham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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(s)	Christine Whigham ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	4, including Giorgia Whigham

Shea Whigham (born January 5, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for playing many different characters in movies and TV shows. You might know him from the TV series Boardwalk Empire where he played Elias "Eli" Thompson.

He has also been in popular films like Joker, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and the Fast & Furious movies. Shea Whigham is famous for his ability to play a wide range of roles.

About Shea Whigham's Early Life

Shea Whigham was born in Tallahassee, Florida. His father, Frank, was a lawyer, and his mother, Beth, was a school librarian. When he was five years old, his family moved to Lake Mary, Florida. He went to Lake Mary High School there.

After high school, Shea went to Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. Later, he moved to the State University of New York at Purchase in Purchase, New York. He joined a small acting program there. Only 31 students were in the program, and just eight seniors graduated with him.

Shea Whigham's Acting Career

After finishing college, Shea Whigham started a theater group in New York City. It was called the Rorschach Group. He started it with his college friend Kirk Acevedo. For three years, Shea worked as an actor and helped lead the group.

His first TV appearance was in 1997 on a show called Ghost Stories. Then, in 2000, he got a main role in the movie Tigerland. This was a big step for his career. He continued to act in TV movies like Submerged and Paradise. In 2003, he was in the film All the Real Girls.

Between 2004 and 2006, Shea appeared in several films. These included Man of the House and Lords of Dogtown. He also acted in the TV series Medical Investigation.

Key Roles in Movies and TV

Shea Whigham starred in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. He played Elias "Eli" Thompson, who was a sheriff. He was on the show for its whole run, from 2010 to 2014. In 2014, he also appeared in another HBO series, True Detective. He played a character named Joel Theriot.

From 2012 to 2017, Shea had many movie roles. Some of these were The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, and Kong: Skull Island. In 2018, he was in films like First Man and Bad Times at the El Royale.

In 2019, Shea Whigham played Detective Burke in the movie Joker. He also appeared in the TV series Vice Principals and Fargo. He starred in Homecoming with Julia Roberts. For this role, he was nominated for an award.

In 2020, he joined the cast of the HBO show Perry Mason. He played Pete Strickland and was noticed for his unique mustache in the role.

Working with Other Actors

Shea Whigham has often worked with actors Michael Shannon and Paul Sparks. Both of them were also in Boardwalk Empire and Waco. Shea and Michael Shannon have appeared together in several other films, including The Quarry and Take Shelter.

Shea Whigham is set to appear in the upcoming movie Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is expected to be released in 2025.

Shea Whigham's Family Life

Shea Whigham is married to Christine Whigham. They have four children together. One of their children is actress Giorgia Whigham, who is also in the acting business.

Filmography

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Movies

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2000	Tigerland	Private Wilson
2003	All the Real Girls	'Tip'
2005	Lords of Dogtown	Drake Landon
2006	Wristcutters: A Love Story	Eugene
2008	Splinter	Dennis Farell
2009	Fast & Furious	FBI Agent Michael Stasiak
2011	Take Shelter	Dewart
2012	Silver Linings Playbook	Jake Solitano
2013	American Hustle	Carl Elway	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2013	Wolf of Wall Street, TheThe Wolf of Wall Street	Captain Ted Beecham
2017	Kong: Skull Island	Captain Earl Cole
2018	First Man	Gus Grissom
2018	Vice	Wayne Vincent
2019	Joker	Detective Burke
2021	F9	FBI Agent Michael Stasiak
2023	Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse	George Stacy	Voice
2023	Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning	Jasper Briggs
2025	Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning	Jasper Briggs	Post-production

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Shea Whigham para niños