Michael Shannon

Early life Shannon was born on August 7, 1974, in Lexington, Kentucky, to Donald Sutherlin Shannon, an accounting professor at DePaul University, and Geraldine Hine, a lawyer. His paternal grandfather was entomologist Raymond Corbett Shannon.

After Shannon's parents divorced, he alternated time with them, living with his mother in Lexington and in Chicago, Illinois, with his father. He attended New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois, for two years before moving to Henry Clay High School in Lexington, Kentucky, for his junior year. While in Lexington, he participated in the Lexington Children's Theatre summer camp and played bass in his first band, The Jehovah Suspects. He returned to Chicago for his senior year at Evanston Township High School, where he dropped out after a semester.

Career

Shannon's first screen role was the main character in the music video for the Every Mother's Nightmare song "House of Pain", where he played a troubled teenager who had run away from his abusive home. Shannon performed on stage in Chicago, where he helped found A Red Orchid Theatre. Shannon originated the role of Peter Evans in Bug in 1996 and starred in the 2006 film adaptation. His roles in Bug and Killer Joe were written by Steppenwolf ensemble member Tracy Letts. He had roles in Jesus' Son, Pearl Harbor, 8 Mile, Vanilla Sky, Kangaroo Jack, Bad Boys II, and a role in Grand Theft Parsons as hippie Larry Oster-Berg.

Shannon appeared in Let's Go to Prison in 2006, where he portrayed Lynard, the leader of a prison white supremacist group. He appeared in a production of Woyzeck in London's West End, under the direction of playwright Sarah Kane. In 2008, Shannon was featured in the off-Broadway production of Stephen Adly Guirgis's The Little Flower of East Orange, presented by LAByrinth Theater Company and The Public Theater, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman.

In 2007, Shannon began the first of his many collaborations with director Jeff Nichols, when cast in the movie Shotgun Stories. Shannon was singled out for praise for his performance as the elder brother of three in a morality tale on the dangers of unresolved family enmities.

In 2008, he starred in the romantic drama film Revolutionary Road, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. His performance as the clinically insane son earned him universal acclaim, and he won the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 2010, he portrayed Doc Cross Williams in the film adaptation of Jonah Hex. Shannon played Federal Prohibition agent Nelson Van Alden in the HBO television show Boardwalk Empire, which began in 2010. In November of that year, he began starring in the one man play Mistakes Were Made at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York City, with performances having run through February 27, 2012. Shannon had performed the show in 2009 at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago.

In 2011, Shannon starred in the drama film Take Shelter. He received rave reviews for his performance, and a Saturn Award for Best Actor. In 2012, he played a corrupt cop in the film Premium Rush, written and directed by David Koepp, and appeared on Broadway along with Paul Rudd and Ed Asner in Grace written by Craig Wright. In 2013, he starred as legendary mob hitman Richard Kuklinski in The Iceman, which was distributed in May of that year. Later in 2013, Shannon portrayed General Zod, the main antagonist in Zack Snyder's film Man of Steel.

In 2015, he performed in the biographical drama Freeheld, and the independent drama 99 Homes, as housing agent Rick Carver, a role that earned him nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. Shannon played Mr. Green in The Night Before in 2015.

Shannon starred in the 2016 psychological thriller film Nocturnal Animals, with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal. His performance as a detective investigating a double homicide garnered him critical acclaim and a second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Also in 2016, Shannon portrayed music icon Elvis Presley alongside Kevin Spacey as President Richard Nixon in Elvis & Nixon.

In 2017, Shannon played Col. Richard Strickland in Guillermo del Toro's romantic fantasy film The Shape of Water. The film premiered at the 74th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion. The Shape of Water went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Shannon played the lead role as Gary Noesner, head of the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit, in Waco on Paramount Network in 2018. He appeared in Long Way Back Home, an extended film clip for the song of the same name by Memphis country-punk rock band, Lucero, from its album Among The Ghosts. Lucero's frontman, Ben Nichols, is the older brother of frequent Shannon collaborator Jeff Nichols. Shannon contributed spoken word vocals to Lucero's "Back To The Night", also from Among The Ghosts.

In 2019, Shannon joined an ensemble cast in Rian Johnson's mystery film Knives Out, portraying Walt Thrombey.

In 2021, Shannon played Napoleon Marconi in the Hulu miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers, based on the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty.

Shannon reprised his role as General Zod in The Flash, released by Warner Bros. in 2023.

In April 2022, a follow-up series to Waco, titled American Tragedies: Waco – The Trials was announced and was set to premiere on Paramount+ in 2023. The miniseries centered on the fallout from the Waco siege as well as the emerging patriot movement. In February 2023, the series was retitled Waco: The Aftermath and would instead premiere on Showtime on April 16, 2023. Shannon reprised his lead role as Gary Noesner and also served as an executive producer for the show.

Shannon also starred as United States President James A. Garfield in the 2025 Netflix miniseries Death by Lightning, and as judge Robert H. Jackson in the film Nuremberg.

Personal life In 2002, Shannon formed the independent rock band Corporal, with Ray Rizzo and Rob Beitzel, in which he sings and writes lyrics. In 2010, Corporal released its self-titled debut album. The first track, "Glory", was released in 2011 and the second song, "Obama", was released in June 2012 as the band's endorsement of President Obama's run for reelection.

Shannon has performed live with Jason Narducy since 2014, playing covers of whole albums by a variety of artists, including Neil Young, The Modern Lovers, Bob Dylan, The Smiths, and T. Rex. The duo covered Murmur by R.E.M. to mark the album's 40th anniversary at Metro Chicago in July 2023. This resulted in a seven-date U.S. tour in 2024. Shannon and Narducy embarked on a U.S. and UK tour in 2025 playing R.E.M.'s Fables of the Reconstruction.

Shannon married actress Kate Arrington in 2017. They are no longer together as of 2025. He has two daughters and lives in New York.

Acting credits Film

Year Title Role Notes 1993 Groundhog Day Fred 1996 Chain Reaction D.C. Flower Delivery Man Credited as "Mike Shannon" 1997 Chicago Cab Crack Head 1999 Jesus' Son Dundun The Ride Jimmy 2000 The Photographer Maurice Tigerland Sergeant Filmore Cecil B. Demented Petie Mullitt Phil Kunz Short film 2001 Pearl Harbor Lt. Gooz Wood New Port South John Stanton Vanilla Sky Aaron 2002 High Crimes Troy Abbott 8 Mile Greg Buehl 2003 Kangaroo Jack Frankie Lombardo Bad Boys II Floyd Poteet Grand Theft Parsons Larry Oster-Berg 2004 Water Bobby Matherson Criminal Gene Dead Birds Clyde Zamboni Man Walt, Zamboni Man Short film The Woodsman Rosen 2006 Bug Peter Evans World Trade Center Dave Karnes Let's Go to Prison Lynard Marvelous John 2007 Shotgun Stories Son Hayes Blackbird Murl Lucky You Ray Zumbro Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Dex 2008 Revolutionary Road John Givings Jr. 2009 The Missing Person John Rosow Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Mundt The Greatest Jordan Walker My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? Brad McCullum 2010 The Runaways Kim Fowley Herbert White Herbert White Short film 13 Henry Jonah Hex Dr. Cross Williams 2011 Take Shelter Curtis LaForche Return Mike The Broken Tower Emile Opffer Machine Gun Preacher Donnie 2012 Mud Uncle Galen Premium Rush Bobby Monday The Iceman Richard Kuklinski 2013 Man of Steel General Zod The Harvest Richard Young 2014 Young Ones Ernest Holm They Came Together Spike Cameo She's Funny That Way Policeman Macy's Cameo 99 Homes Rick Carver 2015 Freeheld Dane Wells The Night Before Mr. Green 2016 Complete Unknown Tom Frank & Lola Frank Reilly Midnight Special Roy Tomlin Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice General Zod Credit only Wolves Lee Keller Poor Boy Blayde Griggs Elvis & Nixon Elvis Presley Also executive producer Loving Grey Villet Salt and Fire Matt Riley Nocturnal Animals Det. Bobby Andes 2017 The Shape of Water Col. Richard Strickland The Current War George Westinghouse Pottersville Maynard Greiger 2018 12 StrongCWO. Hal Spencer Fahrenheit 451 Captain Beatty What They Had Nicky Everhardt Also executive producer State Like Sleep Edward 2019 Knives Out Walt Thrombey 2020 The Quarry Chief Moore Also executive producer Echo Boomers Mel Donnelly 2021 Heart of Champions Jack Murphy Also producer 2022 Night's End Isaac Dees Abandoned RennerBullet Train White DeathAmsterdam Henry Norcross A Little White Lie Shriver2023Eric Larue Director The Flash General Zod The Bikeriders Zipco 2024 A Different Man Himself Cameo The End Father 2025 Nuremberg Robert H. Jackson 2026 Buddy Willie (voice) Bulls Allistar Whitman Bill Parcells Post-production TBA Filming Billy Wilder Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1992 Overexposed Young Man Television film Angel Street Patrick Mulligan Television film 1998, 1999 Early Edition Merle / Mr. Andrews 2 episodes 1999 Turks Man #1 Episode: "Pilot" 2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Avery Shaw Episode: "Quarry" 2009 Delocated Mark Episode: "Sick of It!" 2010–2014 Boardwalk Empire Nelson Van Alden/George Mueller 35 episodes 2017–2020 At Home with Amy Sedaris Various 3 episodes 2018 Waco Gary Noesner 6 episodes; also executive producer The Little Drummer Girl Martin Kurtz 6 episodes Our Cartoon President Narrator (voice) Episode: "Election Special 2018" Room 104 Nathan Episode: "Swipe Right" 2021 Nine Perfect Strangers Napoleon Marconi 8 episodes 2022 Little Demon Unshaven Man (voice) 6 episodes 2022–2023 George & Tammy George Jones 6 episodes 2023 Waco: The Aftermath Gary Noesner 5 episodes; also executive producer 2025 Death by Lightning James A. Garfield 4 episodes

Theater

Awards and nominations

The Chicago City Council passed a resolution designating August 7, 2023, as "National Michael Shannon Day" in Chicago.