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Michael Shannon: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Michael Shannon? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Michael Shannon
PhilipRomanoPhoto via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Michael Corbett Shannon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor. Known for his forceful and intense style of acting, he has twice received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for Revolutionary Road (2008) and Nocturnal Animals (2016). He received Actor Award and Golden Globe nominations for his role in 99 Homes (2014). Shannon's film debut was in Groundhog Day (1993). He appeared in Jesus' Son (1999), Pearl Harbor (2001), Kangaroo Jack (2003), Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007), The Iceman (2012), The Night Before (2015), The Shape of Water (2017), Knives Out (2019), and Bullet Train (2022). He is a frequent collaborator with director Jeff Nichols, having appeared in all of Nichols' films to date: Shotgun Stories (2007), Take Shelter (2011), Mud (2012), Midnight Special and Loving (both 2016), and The Bikeriders (2023). He played General Zod in the DC Extended Universe films Man of Steel (2013) and The Flash (2023). Shannon made his Broadway debut in the 2012 play Grace. He returned to Broadway playing James Tyrone Jr. in the revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night (2016), earning a Tony Award nomination. His television roles include a role as Nelson Van Alden in the HBO period drama series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014) for which he won two Actor Awards. He also starred in Hulu's Nine Perfect Strangers (2021), and Showtime's George & Tammy (2022), the latter of which he received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. He also played James A. Garfield in the Netflix miniseries Death by Lightning, and Robert H. Jackson in the film Nuremberg (both 2025).

Quick facts about Michael Shannon

  • Full name: Michael Shannon
  • Born: 1974-08-07
  • Nationality: United States
  • Known as: Actor
  • Wikidata ID: Q41449

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Michael Shannon?

Michael Corbett Shannon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor.

What nationality is Michael Shannon?

Michael Shannon is United States.

When was Michael Shannon born?

Michael Shannon was born on 1974-08-07.

Sources

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