Michael Emerson

In the Beginning

Michael Emerson was born on September 7, 1954, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he was raised and attended elementary, middle and high school. He began his college career studying theater at Drake University in Des Moines, and then he moved to New York City to further pursue a career in acting. He ended up working as a freelance illustrator as he wasn't able to find work acting, and then in '86, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he performed in local theater and taught at a local college.

Career Accomplishments

Emerson's career got off to a very slow start, as he pursued acting for years before ever landing a big-time role on television. The '90s saw him through some fairly decent roles in theater, such as “Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde”, “Le Misanthrope”, “The Iceman Cometh” and “Give Me Your Answer, Do!” In the early 2000s, he won an Emmy Award for his guest appearance in several episodes of the popular TV show, “The Practice”. Several years later, he has debuted his role on “Lost”, which continued over several seasons, and for which he received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Most Known For

Emerson is most well known for his roles in major television shows. He played a serial killer over several episodes on “The Practice”, and held a starring role in “Lost”. In addition, he played Zep in the very first “Saw” movie, which is perhaps his biggest success on the Big Screen in film.

Where Is He Now

Emerson and his wife continue to act on stage and in films, occasionally dabbling in film-making themselves. He has most recently played the role of Howard Finch in “Person of Interest”.