Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954)
American actor best known for his role as
Benjamin Linus on
Lost as well as fictional serial killer William Hinks in
The Practice.
Early life
Emerson was born in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa and grew up in the nearby town of
Toledo, where he attended South Tama County High School. After graduating in 1976 from
Drake University in
Des Moines, Iowa, where he studied theater and art, he moved to
New York City. Unable to find acting work, he took retail jobs and worked as a freelance illustrator.Interview on
The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet, March 8, 2007 In 1986, he moved with his first wife to
Jacksonville, Florida. There, 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 at
Flagler College also.
Career
Emerson considered forgoing a career in acting in favor of a more stable vocation in teaching. He decided to instead further his studies with a
Master of Fine Arts that might also introduce him to theatre professionals and directors in his chosen trade. In 1993 he enrolled in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's
University of Alabama-sponsored Master of Fine Arts/Professional Actor Training program, and upon graduating in 1995, he returned to New York where he...
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