Michael J. Shannon (born January 24, 1943), also billed as Michael Shannon, is an American actor and playwright.

Career

Shannon has a cult following due to his appearances in cult classics such as ''Little Shop of Horrors'', ''

Red Dwarf ''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave since 2009, gaining a cult following. T ...

'', '' Future Cop'' and ''

We'll Meet Again "We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song by English singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics composed and written by English songwriters Ross Parker and Hughie Charles. The song is one of the most famous of the Second World War era, and resonated with ...

,'' the last two being his most substantial television roles, as Officer John Haven and Major James Kiley respectively. Shannon was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Arts from

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

(whose School of Communication grants Bachelor of Science degrees in all of its programs of study, including theater). He subsequently received a Master of Arts in Oral Interpretation from Northwestern. In addition to his filmography, he has maintained substantial theatrical acting credits throughout his career, including the British premiere of

Arthur Kopit Arthur Lee Kopit (' Koenig; May 10, 1937 – April 2, 2021) was an American playwright. He was a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for '' Indians'' and ''Wings''. He was also nominated for three Tony Awards: Best Play for ''Indians'' (1970) an ...

’s ''The End of the World'' ''with Symposium to Follow'' in Southampton (Nuffield Theatre) and the London premiere of

A. R. Gurney Albert Ramsdell Gurney Jr. (November 1, 1930 – June 13, 2017) (sometimes credited as Pete Gurney) was an American playwright, novelist and academic. He is known for works including ''The Dining Room'' (1982), '' Sweet Sue'' (1986/7), and ''The ...

’s ''

The Dining Room ''The Dining Room'' is a play by the American playwright A. R. Gurney. It was first produced Off-Broadway at the Studio Theatre of Playwrights Horizons, in 1981. Synopsis The play is a comedy of manners, set in a single dining room where 18 scen ...

'' (Greenwich Theatre, 1983, directed by Alan Strachan). In 2013 he gave 4 benefit performances in aid of

Amnesty international Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

of the monumental one-man play ''Clarence Darrow'' by David V. Rintels, based on the life of the lawyer and founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union, at the Teahouse Theatre in Vauxhall, London. The first play he authored, ''Deros On the Funny Farm'', was first produced at the

Long Wharf Theater Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared. Fou ...

in New Haven in 1981 with

Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...

in the lead.

Theme of the American President

A recurring feature of his career, in acting and writing, is the figure of the American president. He portrayed

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

television series ''Red Dwarf'', starred in two episodes of the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television series

Call to Glory ''Call to Glory'' is an American drama which was aired for 22 episodes during the 1984–1985 TV season (specifically from August 1984 to February 1985) on the The show focuses on USAF pilot Colonel Raynor Sarnac (Craig T. Nelson) and his f ...

named 'JFK' (parts 1 and 2, though not as the president) and has written and starred in a one-man play, ''JFK on JFK''.

Hoyt Hilsman Hoyt R. Hilsman is an author, journalist and political figure. He has written novels, non-fiction books, plays and screenplays, and is a regular contributor to national media. He was a candidate for Congress in California in 2006 and 2008, and has ...

, in reviewing the play for Backstage West, wrote, “Shannon’s memorable performance captures the soul of the late president like none other in recent memory.” Shannon took the role of Harding in James Staley's play about the scandal-plagued American president

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...

, ''Everyone's Friend'', which premiered in August 1999 at Whitefire Theatre.

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

critic Philip Brandes wrote that "Shannon makes a heartbreakingly believable case for Harding's ignorance of and outrage at the abuses of his Cabinet." Shannon portrayed Abraham Lincoln in a play he also authored, ''Watching with Lincoln'', produced at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2014. His play ''Liberty Rising'' is set in the Revolutionary War featuring George Washington and John Adams alongside their wives Martha and Abigail.

Filmography

Films

TV

Personal life

Shannon was the second husband of the late

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

-born actress

Vickery Turner Vickery Turner (3 April 1940 in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey – 4 April 2006), born Christine Hazel Turner, was a British actress, playwright, author and theatre director. Career She started out on stage and her first breakthrough role was in ...

. He and Turner met during the American season of

Frith Banbury Frederick Harold Frith Banbury MBE (4 May 1912 – 14 May 2008) was a British theatre actor and director. Banbury was born in Plymouth, Devon, on 4 May 1912, the son of Rear Admiral Frederick Arthur Frith Banbury and his wife Winifred (n ...

's production of the play ''The Day After The Fair'' by Frank Harvey, which opened on September 4, 1973 at the Auditorium Theatre in Denver, Colorado and closed January 20, 1974 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Shannon played the role of Bradford and Turner the role of Anna. Their daughter Caitlin is also an actress and writer.

References

External links

*
Michael J Shannon webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon, Michael J. 1943 births Northwestern University alumni Living people