Michael James Esper (born December 1, 1976) is an American actor, best known for his stage work.[1][2]
Michael Esper | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael James Esper December 1, 1976 |
| Education | Oberlin College Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1995–present |
Early life
editEsper was born in Manhattan and raised in Montclair, New Jersey.[3] He is the son of acting teachers William and Suzanne Esper, of the William Esper Studio. He attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn Heights. He attended Rutgers University after attending Oberlin College for one year.[4]
Stage career
editEsper has appeared on Broadway in Sting's The Last Ship, A Man for All Seasons,[5] Green Day's American Idiot[6] and The Lyons.[7] He also starred in the Off-Broadway premieres of Leslye Headland's Assistance,[8] Nicky Silver's The Lyons,[9] and Tony Kushner's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures.[10] His voice is included on American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording as well as the cast album for Lazarus.[11]
After a break from stage work, he returned to New York theater in February 2014 with David Grimm's play Tales from Red Vienna off-Broadway, opposite Nina Arianda.[12] He followed that by starring in Sting's musical The Last Ship.[13] The Last Ship began previews on Broadway in September 2014 and ran through January 24, 2015. Esper also appeared in David Bowie and Enda Walsh's musical Lazarus at New York Theatre Workshop.[14] He was nominated for a 2016 Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance in Lazarus.[15] Esper has also appeared in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2016 and again at the Duke of York's Theatre in London, which ran until April 29, 2017.
Additional stage credits include Crazy Mary, for which he won the Clarence Derwent Award,[16] Big Bill, subUrbia, Manic Flight Reaction, As You Like It, and The Four Of Us.[17]
Reception
editThe New York Daily News described him as a "rising star" and said, "He acts with an emotional openness and authenticity that's as striking as it is uncommon. Esper's talent is evident whether he's punking out on Broadway in the Green Day musical American Idiot or assuming the cadence and carriage of 16th-century England in A Man for All Seasons."[3]
Acting credits
editStage
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Dying is Easy | Albert Matson | |
| 2001 | A Beautiful Mind | Young John Nash | |
| 2002 | American Gun | Burglar | |
| 2005 | Loggerheads | Gill | |
| Bittersweet Place | Joey | ||
| 2007 | Light and the Sufferer | Paul | |
| 2010 | All Good Things | Daniel Marks | |
| 2012 | Watching TV with the Red Chinese | Billy | |
| Frances Ha | Dan | ||
| Crazy Love | Joey | Short film | |
| 2013 | Runner Runner | Billy Petricoff | |
| 2014 | The Drop | Rardy | |
| 2018 | For George on His 30th Birthday | George Dougherty | Short film |
| Ben Is Back | Clayton | ||
| 2022 | Resurrection | Peter | |
| 2023 | Beau Is Afraid | Officer Johnson | |
| The Creator | Captain Cotton | ||
| 2024 | Pavements | Essem | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Law & Order | David Sutton | Episode: "Take-Out" |
| Bunker Hill | Pete Walsh | TV pilot | |
| 2013 | The Good Wife | Gregory Steck | Episode: "The Wheels of Justice" |
| Do No Harm | Dr. Kenneth Jordan | 13 episodes | |
| 2013–2014 | Person of Interest | Jason Greenfield | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Believe | Jack Callahan | Episode: "Sinking" |
| Halt and Catch Fire | Ron Cane | Episode: "Close to the Metal" | |
| 2014–2015 | Nurse Jackie | Gabe | 7 episodes |
| 2015 | Elementary | Donald Pruitt | Episode: "The Cost of Doing Business" |
| 2016 | Shades of Blue | Donnie Pomp | 11 episodes |
| The Family | Doug/Pocked-Marked Man | 12 episodes | |
| BrainDead | Noah Feffer | 2 episodes | |
| 2018 | Trust | John Paul Getty Jr. | 7 episodes |
| 2019 | Prodigal Son | Jon Littman | Episode: "Annihilator" |
| Reprisal | Colin Quinn | Episode: "The Tale of Harold Horpus" | |
| Ray Donovan | Adam Rain | 6 episodes | |
| 2020 | The Outsider | Kenneth Hayes | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | Evil | Scientist | Episode: "B Is for Brain" |
| 2023 | Florida Man | Deacon | 5 episodes |
| Julia | Noel Winton | Episode: "Bûche De Noël" | |
| 2024 | Fallout | Bud Askins / Brain-on-a-Roomba | 2 episodes |
| Law & Order | Kenneth Lane | Episode: "Catch and Kill" |
References
edit- ^ Blank, Matthew (May 3, 2011). "Playbill.com's Cue & A: Intelligent Homosexual's Guide Star Michael Esper". Playbill. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ "Michael Esper (Performer)". Playbill. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ a b Dziemianowicz, Joe (April 20, 2012). "Spotlight: Hometown actor Michael Esper now on Broadway in the comedy 'The Lyons'". New York Daily News.
- ^ Spaner, Whitney (April 25, 2008). "Curtain Cutie: Michael Esper". Papermag. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (October 7, 2008). "Martyr Me a Little (the Perils of Thomas)". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ Isherwood, Charles (April 20, 2010). "Stomping Onto Broadway With a Punk Temper Tantrum". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ "Michael Esper". The Broadway League.
- ^ Isherwood, Charles (February 28, 2012). "Heads Will Roll When Calls Don't in This Office Culture Gone Wild". The New York Times.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (October 11, 2011). "The Curse of Kinship, but a Fear of Isolation". The New York Times.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (May 5, 2011). "Debating Dialectics and Dad's Suicide Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (February 13, 2011). "Idiot's Delight! American Idiot Cast Album Wins Grammy Award". Playbill. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ Levitt, Hayley (January 22, 2014). "Complete Cast Announced for MTC World Premiere of David Grimm's Tales From Red Vienna". TheaterMania. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (February 12, 2014). "Michael Esper, Jimmy Nail, Aaron Lazar, Sally Ann Triplett and More Will Star in Sting's The Last Ship on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (December 7, 2015). "Review: David Bowie Songs and a Familiar Alien in 'Lazarus'". The New York Times.
- ^ "American Psycho and She Loves Me Lead 2016 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations". TheaterMania. April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ "Zoe Kazan and Michael Esper Win 2008 Clarence Derwent Awards". Broadway.com. May 16, 2008.
- ^ "Michael Esper". Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ Musbach, Julie (September 20, 2019). "Michael Urie, Nikki M. James, Among Complete Casting of The Public's A Bright Room Called Day". Broadway World. Retrieved September 26, 2019.