Michael Emerson
Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor who is best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost (2006–2010) and as Harold Finch in the CBS series Person of Interest (2011–2016). Other prominent roles include Zep Hindle in the horror film Saw (2004) and the recurring role of Cayden James on Arrow (2017–2018). He currently stars as Dr. Leland Townsend in the Paramount+ thriller series Evil (2019–present). He also portrayed Dr. Siggi Wilzig in Fallout (2024) released on Amazon.
For The Lost Boys character, see Michael Emerson (character).
Michael Emerson
September 7, 1954
Actor
1986–present
He has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, one Guest Actor in a Drama Series award for portraying William Hinks on The Practice (2000–2001), and the second a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award for his role in Lost, which he also received three other Primetime Emmy nominations for. Emerson has also worked extensively in theatre, notably originating the role of Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde from 1997 to 1998, portraying Willie Oban in the 1999 Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh, and playing Guy in the debut production of Will Eno's Wakey, Wakey in 2017.
Early life[edit]
Emerson was born in Cedar Rapids,[1] Iowa, to Carol (née Hansen) and Ronald H. Emerson.[2] He grew up in Toledo, Iowa, where he was a member of his high school marching band.[1]
He graduated in 1976 from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he majored in theater[3] and minored in art.[4] He studied for a semester at the National Theater Institute at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, then moved to New York City. Unable to find acting work, he took retail jobs and worked as an illustrator.[1][4][5] In 1986, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where (from 1986 to 1993) he appeared in local productions at Theater Jacksonville and The Players by the Sea and worked as a director and teacher[4] at Flagler College.[6] After several years of work including illustration and teaching,[4] Emerson earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Alabama in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival acting program.[7]
Personal life[edit]
Emerson married actress Carrie Preston in 1998 in her hometown of Macon, Georgia.[14] They met while he was performing in a stage production of Hamlet in Alabama.[1][5] It is his second marriage.[1] The two later starred together in Straight-Jacket (2004). Preston portrayed Emily Linus (the mother of Emerson's character) on Lost in the flashback sequences of the episode "The Man Behind the Curtain".[9] The two teamed up again, with Emerson portraying Preston's next-door neighbor, in the film Ready? OK! (2008).[15] Preston also appeared in several episodes of Person of Interest as Grace Hendricks (the former fiancée of Emerson's character).
Emerson supports charities connected to the theater community, including the Actors Fund, Broadway Cares, and Off-Off Broadway, in addition to publicly supported radio stations and Habitat for Humanity.[4]